NNPC moves to stop probe of $14.9bn LNG dividend, Reps allegePolicy

The House of Representatives at the weekend expressed concern over alleged plans by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to stop investigation into the $14.9 billion Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) dividend paid into its coffers.

The corporation via its legal adviser, Mike Ozekhome & Co, challenged the authority of the House Committee on Public Accounts to request for the LNG accounts spanning from 2004 to 2014.

Solomon Adeola, chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts, who gave the hint in Abuja, however, reiterated the resolve of the committee to sponsor a motion of urgent national importance during Tuesday plenary with a view to compelling NNPC to present relevant documents.

Adeola said, “Just about a month ago, we invited the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to appear before the committee on public accounts. They came and told us that the Federal Government has 51 percent holding in LNG while 41 percent is owned by Shell and other private sector (players).

“Yes, if we have 51 percent, how much of these funds have returned to the Federal Government as dividend? They said they have it. And between 2004 and 2014, they’ve remitted to the NNPC coffers in form of dividend $14.9 billion.

“We wrote to NNPC asking for evidence for the sources of revenue, the bank statements, and if there is any expenditure for that account and any other item they can furnish us with.”

“Just this afternoon (Friday), we received a letter from their lawyer, Mike Ozekhome & Co, saying while quoting Section 88 and other relevant sections of the constitution as to why they cannot and will not come before the committee with these particular documents.”

While reiterating the committee’s resolve to continue the probe, Adeola argued that Ozekhome’s chamber as a private law firm does not represent the law courts, adding that NNPC’s action showed “that there is more to what we’re seeing.”

Adeola, who pledged to make the outcome of the findings public, said “the next line of action is to go to your lawyer to start writing us and from there move to court to seek injunction preventing us from that document.
“This tells you the extent to which they have used the judiciary to stall a lot of investigations we are carrying out as a House. And on Tuesday, I want to come with a motion of urgent national importance so that the House can know what is in the offing as far as LNG is concerned.”

Diezani Alison-Madueke, minister of petroleum resources, had in 2014 obtained a court injunction stopping investigation into the N10 billion allegedly spent on chartered flights for alleged private travels.