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Tag: summon

  • Senate to summon Alison-Madueke over N10b private jet

    Senate to summon Alison-Madueke over N10b private jet

    The Senate is to summon Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, should the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) fail to tender documents relating to her N10 billion private jet expenses.

    The House of Representatives is to probe the issue as from April 28.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Magnus Abe, told reporters at the weekend in Abuja that the committee would invite the minister to provide the required details if the NNPC refuses to submit documents relating to the expenditure. Besides, Abe alleged that the NNPC had failed to submit its financial dealings as requested since 2012.

    He said: “We’ve not informed the minister of the delay from NNPC and there are issues we know will involve the minister, but I don’t think this, at this point, involves the minister.

    “But if we can’t resolve it, we will ask the minister to come with them. But, at the moment, it’s between the committee and the NNPC. The NNPC is a corporation. We believe we can sort this out.

    “We asked about the crude swap transactions; to know exactly what volumes are being swapped and what the country is getting in return.

    “We haven’t seen that. We also wanted information on the rehabilitation of the refineries to know exactly how far they’ve gone with those programmes; we haven’t seen that.

    “We wanted information about the volumes of products that are being sold via the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC). We actually haven’t seen that. We wanted information on the aircraft that has now become an issue. We’ve actually asked for this information since last year and we haven’t seen that.

    “So, there are lots of what I would call routine information from the NNPC, which should be between us, the committee and the NNPC.

    “The last sitting of the committee on these information we require was particularly bad! They didn’t send anybody.

    “It was only when I got back to the office that I saw a letter from the NNPC, saying that they were still trying to collate this information…since last year, they’ve been collating this information.”

    On the time frame to submit the required information to the Committee, Abe said: “We’ve given time frames from the start and the time frames have not been met but we believe that this is an issue that neither party would like us to take to the extreme.

    “So, we still believe that we would be able to work this out because a lot of the information we are asking for are practically already in the public domain and, apart from that, this is our responsibility, as the oversight committee, to have access to this information.

    “It is not a witch-hunt or that we are automatically going to share this information with the public but we need to know so that we can work with them to see how we can improve the things we think can be done better and if we have advice we can proffer; we will do that; after we know exactly what is going on.

    “But definitely, we don’t think that any public corporation that is being over-sighted by parliament has a right to keep a committee of parliament in the dark. Whatever they know, we are entitled to know as well.

    “We are also asking for details of how the 2013 budget was implemented. It’s part of what we are asking for now; so that we can look through the budget together and it’s part of what we asked them to bring because I’ve not even seen the budget. I haven’t seen NNPC’s budget for this year.”

    On what the committee would do should the NNPC fails to avail it of the required information, the committee boss said he could not speculate.

  • $8b crude oil swap deal: Reps summon Alison-Madueke, others

    $8b crude oil swap deal: Reps summon Alison-Madueke, others

    Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke has been summoned by the joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Upstream) and Judiciary over the alleged diversion of $8 billion meant for the Federal Government’s coffers.

    The $8 billion represents the under- declared amount in the crude oil swap deal.

    The joint committees have written the minister over the alleged diversion of multi-billion dollars on importation of petroleum products.

    Also summoned is the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

    Sequel to allegation by a Swiss- based non governmental and advocacy organisation, Berne Declaration, that two Swiss oil trading companies – Vitol and Trafigura – in connivance with the Nigerian National petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have ripped the country off about $6.8 billion in two years, the House mandated the joint committees to investigate the matter.

    Also fingered in the scam include Ontario, Aiteco, Vitol, PPPRA, Mercuria Energy and Eterna Oil and Gas.

    The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) also accused some oil traders of under-delivering 500,075,239.3 litres of products worth $8 billion in year 2011.

    NEITI, in its report submitted to the House, gave their names as: Trafigura (173,786,600 litres); Vitol (654,440.7 litres); Taleveras (152,308,878 litres); Aiteo Nigeria Limited (193,046,590 litres) and Ontario Oil and Gas (180,278,732 litres).

    Speaking at the resumed hearing on “the alleged connivance by NNPC with Swiss oil dealers to rob Nigeria of billions of dollars”, Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Muraina Ajibola, said there was need to hear from the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

    “I have not heard anything from her (Minister). We will give her a date to appear before us and that will be the last,” he warned.

    However, MD/CEO, Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, Mrs Ada Ugo-Ngadi, who made submissions before the committee, derided the allegations of the Swiss-based organisation.

    She said:”The publication is a figment of the writers’ imagination, seeking to distract Nigerians and cause distrust of indigenous oil companies. It is baseless, faulty and deserves no serious attention.”

    Mrs Ugo-Ngadi said the selection of buyers of Nigerian crude was done on transparent and competitive basis, adding that her company’s business dealings with the NNPC was above board.

    “Ontario’s SWAP arrangement with NNPC/PPMC is in line with international standard, transparent and complies with all audit requirements. It is transparent and conducted in line with global best practice,” she said.

    She, however admitted that she had been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The committee expressed dissatisfaction over Mrs Ugo-Ngadi’s presentation, particularly as she could not justify the quantity of crude oil lifted against the refined products supplied during the period under review.

    She was, therefore, requested to submit documents on the volume of crude oil lifted, contract agreements signed with other partners, date and cost of products lifted and the vessels involved and list of the agencies, which authorised the transaction and the terminals the products berthed.

    AITEO Energy Resources Limited, which also appeared before the committee, said it lifted 10,231,122 barrels of crude oil valued at $1.170,732,027.62 and supplied refined products worth $1,111,972,698.18.18 in 2011.

    Mr. Nnamadi, who represented the company, said the value of the demurrage incurred by Aiteco Energy Resources Ltd from 2011 to June 2013 and reimbursement by PPMC was $60.269 million.

    “At the last reconciliation exercise with PPMC, Duke Oil/Aiteco Energy Resources Ltd had lifted 26,425,738 barrels of crude oil from 2011; valued at $3,010,308,113.08 and supplied refined products valued at $2,976,663,203.01 as at June 2013,” he said.

    Nnamadi said there was no attempt to defraud NNPC or Nigeria as the company, being wholly Nigerian owned, has no operations in Switzerland as the Swiss report alleged.

    Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it could not vouchsafe the exchange rate quoted by NEITI in its report to the committee.

    “CBN cannot confirm the exchange rate used by the NEITI Audit as CBN Average Exchange Rate, since CBN uses the spot rate for the receipts and not an average. Also, CBN cannot ascertain how NEITI derived these average rates,” the apex bank said.

    The CBN’s position, which came via a letter dated March 24, and signed by Kingsley Moghalu, Deputy Director (Operations), added that “the NNPC’s liftings of crude oil are normally received by the CBN into NNPC’s account three months after the liftings.

  • Reps summon Minister, Shell, others over Bonga oil spill

    Reps summon Minister, Shell, others over Bonga oil spill

    The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Environment, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over compensation issues following the December 20, 2011 Bonga oil spill.

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) were also invited.

    The Minister and others were expected to explain their roles on the effects of chemical dispersants used by Shell to disperse the said oil spillage at the sea on the said communities.

    What is due to the communities as compensation, when ascertained, would also be discussed.

    The affected communities alleged that the dispersant led to disruption of their fishing activities and other sources of livelihood but that the oil company has not been forthcoming.

    The communities are spread between Warri North, Warri South West and Burutu Local Government Councils of Delta State, as well as Ekeremor, Southern Ijaw and Brass Local Government Councils of Bayelsa State.

    The move by the Uche Ekwenufe-led House Committee has however, succeeded in averting planned shut down of operations of major international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the Niger Delta area, facts to this emerged yesterday.

    Coordinator of the communities, Amona Monday, said though youth leaders in the affected communities have concluded plans to picket major oil companies in the Niger Delta area and disrupt their services having failed to peacefully resolve the issue with Shell.

    He said: “Fortunately, the affected communities got a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Environment inviting us and Shell as well as other regulatory and administrative bodies to a meeting on Tuesday next week.”

  • Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi over Naira devaluation

    Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi over Naira devaluation

    The House of Representatives yesterday resolved to invite the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to brief its relevant committees on the reason behind the continuous slide of the naira.

    The decision of the House was sequel to a motion brought to the floor by a member, Odebunmi Olusegun Dokun (PDP, Oyo) with the title: “Need to Check the Continuous Devaluation of the Naira.”

    On its adoption, the House mandated its committees of Finance, Banking and Currency, and National Planning and Economic Development, to summon the CBN Governor and the Finance Minister to explain what was being done to mitigate the devaluation of the naira and present their report within six weeks.

    While presenting his argument, Dokun noted that there has been a continuous decrease in the value of the naira over the years against major currencies in the world.

    He said when the currency was introduced in 1973, the naira was the equivalent of 10 shillings, and was more than a US dollar in value and a little under the UK pounds sterling.

    He said between 1990 to date, its value has deprciated from N28 to a Dollar, to around N158 to the dollar, adding that the trend showed a continuous devaluation of the naira “without any sign of improvement.”

    Dokun said the economy of the country, as well as its future would be adversely affected if the downward trend continues.

    He therefore prayed the House to mandate the three committees to summon Mrs. Okonjo- Iweala and Sanusi to “ brief the committees on measures being taken to curb this ugly situation and report back to the House within six weeks.

    Members overwhelmingly voted for the adoption of the motion.

  • ECOWAS’s chiefs of defence staff summon fresh meeting

    Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDDs)  of the  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are scheduled to meet in Abidjan,Cote d’Ivoire today  with a view to  assessing the impact of the deployment of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA).

    Troops from some member states are already in Mali   to stop  the  terrorists operating in the northern part of that country.

    The meeting is expected to accelerate  the deployment of AFISMA in line with the United Nations Security Council resolution on Mali.

    The  Communication Unit of the ECOWAS Commission said  ahead of the meeting yesterday  that it is  the second  by the CDDs in 11 days and is “ in response to the 19th January 2013 extra-ordinary summit of regional Heads of State and Government towards an accelerated deployment of AFISMA, within the context of the UN Security Council Resolution 2085 of December 2012.”

    Also expected at the one-day meeting  are heads of police of member states, the Special Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Force Commander and the Chief of Staff of AFISMA.

  • Senate to summon IGP over Maina

    Senate to summon IGP over Maina

    The Senate is to summon the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar, for failing to arrest the Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, it was learnt yesterday.

    The Chairman, Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service and State and Local Government Administration, Senator Aloysius Etok, confirmed this to reporters in Abuja.

    He said: “The Senate President, who is the No. 3 citizen, signed a warrant of arrest and the Inspector-General of Police ignored the order.

    “This is very unfortunate. The Senate is left with no option than to invite the IGP to explain why he could not arrest Maina.

    “We want to know if Maina is above the law. The IGP must tell us his own fear and whether it is beyond his power to arrest Maina. We are seeking to know all these from the IGP.”

    The lawmaker added: “In our committee’s report submitted to the Senate in June last year, which was adopted by the Senate, we said the continued existence of Maina’s Task Team is illegal and should be discontinued because nowhere does any task team exist beyond six months.

    “This was affirmed by the former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, who appointed Maina. Former Head of Service Prof. Oladapo Afolabi also said this. Likewise, the incumbent Head of Service, Bello Sali, as well as the Minister of Finance.

    “We also said Maina is a bad example in the public service and should be relieved of his appointment and prosecuted.

    “He claimed that he has been spending N500 million monthly to pay police pension, and on our own, we discovered that he was spending between N600 million and N1 billion monthly to pay.

    “Therefore, we say the difference between N500million and that is the margin of fraud, and that he must return the money to government’s treasury.

  • Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi over non-release of N4b audit allocation

    Reps summon Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi over non-release of N4b audit allocation

    The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Director-General of the Budget Office Mr. Bright Okogu over the non-release of the N4 billion allocated to the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2012 budget.

    They are to appear before the Solomon Olamilekan Adeola-led House Committee today to explain the non-release of the amount, which has frustrated the audit of the Federal Government 2012 Budget spending.

    Besides shedding light on the reason behind the small allocation to the Auditor-General’s Office, they are also to explain why no allocation was made in the 2013 budget for the audit of the Federation Account.

    The Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, who spoke before the committee at the weekend, said though his office proposed N5.2 billion to audit the 2012 Budget, only N892.5 million was released by the Ministry of Finance of the N4 billion eventually approved.

    Ukura shocked committee members when he told them there was no allocation to his office in the 2013 Budget to audit the Federation Account.

    He said as a result, the accounts of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) could not be audited in 2012.

    Said he: “With the meagre allocation to our office, we cannot even audit some ministries.”

    Ukura noted that such a trend was threatening to render the Federal Audit Office redundant, adding that since he assumed office as the Auditor-General on October 16, 2010, it had been the practice of the Ministry of Finance to frustrate financial allocations to his office.

    According to him, his office in 2012 “audited only 44 of the 97 foreign missions because of paucity of funds.”

    Members of the committee agreed that for the Auditor-General’s Office to be independent and functional, it must be on the first line charge.

    They decried the inability of the Auditor-General’s Office to examine the accounts of many MDAs due to the dearth of funds.

    A member of the committee, Pally Iriase(ACN-Edo State), said: “If you look at this budget (Auditor General’s), it shows how unserious we are about tackling corruption in this country.

    “This budget ought to signpost our seriousness in tackling corruption headlong, but the Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office in their own strange wisdom have decided that the best thing to do is frustrate the Office of the Auditor-General.”

    Another member, Karimi Sunday (ACN-Kogi), noted: “There is a continuous attempt to frustrate and render the Office of the Accountant- General redundant. They (Finance Ministry and Budget Office) don’t want the office to do their work, but there is need for this committee to do their work.”

    Mr. Adeola believes that the Auditor-General’s Office was not given the opportunity to defend its budget before the executive.

    He alleged that the Minister of Finance and the DG Budget “sit together to draw budget for the Auditor-General without giving him the opportunity to defend it.”

     

  • Reps summon IG, Perm Sec on N306m police account

    The House of Representatives has summoned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abubakar Mohammed and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs, Aliyu Ismaila, on the Police Reward Fund.

    The summon by the Public Account Committee (PAC) followed the discovery of an account by the IG tagged, Police Reward Fund in the Auditor-General’s report of 2006.

    The committee also raised the alarm over what it described as a ‘total disregard’ for the National Assembly by the Ministries of Finance and Justice for their continual refusal to honour the committee’s invitations.

    The PAC also accused the Ministry of Justice, Court of Appeal and the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) of insincerity.

    A member of the Committee, Linus Okorie, said the three agencies and several others have not been able to reconcile their accounts since 2006 till date.

    “Is it not absurd, going by the mandates of these three agencies in fighting corruption that they have to be involved in matters of records like this?

    “Since 2007 when the queries were issued, they are still reconciling and still asking for more time. It’s just absurd,” he said.

    At the continuation of the PAC’s meeting with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) at the weekend, the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) could also not explain the legality of the secret account.

    The discovery of the N306million in the Police Reward Fund account was made during the committee’s interaction with the Ministry of Police Affairs on an outstanding imprest of MDAs amounting to N605million.

    The representative of the Police Affairs Ministry, however, drew the ire of the committee when he revealed that the Police Reward Fund has no record because it was not drawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

    The Police Affairs representative was also unable to explain how N6.4million was recorded as credit balance in 2006 rather than nil.

    Chairman of the Committee Solomon Adeola who was angry at the ministry for ignoring the Auditor General’s query since 2007 gave the ministry two weeks to provide documents to explain the query.

    On the illegal Police Reward Fund, the ministry’s representative said the fund was operated exclusively by the IGP, adding that funding of the account was through funds forfeited by police officers and other means.

    He said the fund was not operated by civil servants.

    Neither the Ministry of Police Affairs nor the Accountant-General’s office could provide details of the illegal account to the Committee.

    Adeola, however, expressed concern on the operation of such accounts, saying it was against the country’s financial regulations.

    Besides inviting the IGP and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Committee mandated the Auditor General to extract detailed records of the account from the Ministry and the office of the IGP from 1999.

    The Auditor General was given two weeks to submit the details.