ABUJA – Senate yesterday opened another window for probing the $1.05 billion taken from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas dividends by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation used in augmenting losses being incurred on N145 per litre current pump price of petrol.
This is as the upper legislative chamber , mandated its committee on Gas to investigate the diverted fund and the entire usage of the NLNG dividends within the last two years .
Call for investigation of the fund by the committee on Gas was sequel to a motion moved to that effect by the committee chairman, Senator Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom North East).
Akpan in the motion moved through a point of order , said since last week Thursday , when the Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC , Mikanti Baru told the Senate Ad- hoc committee probing alleged $3.5 billion set aside for subsidy payment , that only $1.05billion was taken from NLNG dividends, concerned Nigerians have been calling him on the authorisation and usage of the fund .
He therefore sought for mandate of the Senate for his committee to probe the unauthorized diversion to which he was obliged by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki in his ruling .
Though the Senate leader who doubles as the Chairman of the Ad-hoc committee probing the alleged $3.5bn subsidy fund, Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North), urged the senate not to mandate another committee for the same probe exercise but Senator Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa central) , countered him.
Paulker in his argument said since the Committee Lawan is heading , is probing alleged subsidy fund, the one on Gas should be allowed to focus on NLNG dividends as requested by Senator Akpan.
Saraki in his ruling , said the two committees should forge ahead with their separate investigations .
“The committee on gas should not only investigate the $1.05bn said to have taken from the NLNG dividends by NNPC to defray alleged extra costs being incurred on current pump price of fuel but the entire dividends .
“Nigerians need to know how the dividends meant for the three tiers of government have been managed within the last three years “, he said .
It would be recalled that Saraki had on Monday in Ilorin declared that the Senate would probe the diverted NLNG fund since it was not appropriated for by the National Assembly.
Saraki who made the declaration to journalists while fielding questions from them said : “We are shocked that the NNPC’s GMD was claiming that the illegal diversion of dividends from the NLNG which should be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation for the purpose of funding the fuel subsidy was done in compliance with the National Assembly directive that NNPC as the supplier of last resort, should ensure robust petrol supply.
“So, if the National Assembly called on NNPC to carry out its legitimate duty of ensuring adequate fuel supply to Nigerians, the GMD logically thinks the corporation by that call has the license to perpetrate illegality, spend money without approval and violate appropriation laws.
“This investigation will require the GMD to produce the approval given by the National Assembly and other necessary approving bodies authorizing the NNPC to divert the dividend from the NLNG investment, which ought to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund belonging to the three tiers of government, for the payment of fuel subsidy”.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki
