The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has rejected petroleum importation records presented by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) over significant discrepancies with figures supplied by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The committee resolved to summon the heads of NMDPRA, NNPCL and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) to explain the differences in their records of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imports in 2022 and 2023.
The decision followed a review of queries raised against NMDPRA in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report covering 2021 to 2023.
NMDPRA, NNPCL report different import volumes
At the committee’s sitting, NMDPRA Chief Executive Rabiu Umar was represented by Deputy Director Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe, who maintained that the authority’s records were credible despite the discrepancies.
She said NMDPRA recorded 3.29 billion litres of imported petrol in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres in 2023.
By comparison, NNPCL’s records showed 6.27 billion litres in 2022 and 3.88 billion litres in 2023.
Ugwu-Ojobe described the differences as slight and said they were being examined for possible reconciliation.
However, the explanation did not satisfy members of the committee, who questioned how the two agencies arrived at substantially different figures for the same period.
Senators demand thorough investigation
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, rejected NMDPRA’s description of the discrepancies as slight, describing differences exceeding 50 per cent as wide, disturbing and suspicious.
He argued that the scale of the differences required a more serious explanation.
Senator Dayo Faduyile, representing Ondo South, also expressed concern, saying the discrepancies left considerable room for suspicion.
Similarly, Senator Aniekan Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East, called for a thorough investigation to determine the reasons for the conflicting figures.
Bassey said Nigerians should not be shortchanged by discrepancies in official records of petrol imports.
He urged the committee to investigate the figures and identify anyone found responsible for wrongdoing.
Following the deliberations, the committee, chaired by Senator Hassan Dankwambo, representing Gombe North, rejected NMDPRA’s defence and resolved to invite the heads of the three agencies for questioning.
Dankwambo said the committee found NMDPRA’s presentation unacceptable in relation to the queries raised in the NEITI audit report, particularly those concerning petrol import volumes in 2022 and 2023.
The planned meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for the agencies to explain the discrepancies and reconcile their records.
The committee has not established that fraud occurred. However, the conflicting figures have prompted senators to demand further scrutiny of the agencies’ records and accountability in the petroleum sector.
