The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has declined the 2022 and 2023 Premium Motor Spirit import records submitted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, pointing out major contradictions when measured against figures provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Consequently, the committee has summoned the chief executives of the NMDPRA, NNPCL, and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) to appear before it to explain the discrepancies or face exposure for potential fraud.
The discrepancies came to light during a legislative hearing on queries raised in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report (2021–2023).
Defending the regulator’s figures, NMDPRA’s Authority Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, represented by Deputy Director Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe, insisted that the agency’s records remained credible despite contradicting the NNPCL’s submissions.
“We stand at 3.29 billion litres of PMS as the volume imported in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres in 2023, against 6.27 billion litres recorded by NNPCL in 2022 and 3.88 billion litres in 2023. The slight disparities are being looked into for possible reconciliation,” Ugwu-Ojobe said.
The defence drew swift condemnation from committee members, who rejected the assertion that the multi-billion-litre gaps were merely “slight.”
Reacting to the figures, Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) noted that variance exceeding 50% points to systemic inflation or poor accountability.
“The disparities in records of PMS importation between NMDPRA and NNPCL in 2022 and 2023… are too wide to be described as slight or being looked into without the seriousness required,” Ningi argued.
Senator Dayo Faduyile (Ondo South) remarked that the wild swing in numbers “leaves a lot of room for someone to think that something is amiss.”
Senator Anietan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East) called for a full-scale probe to protect public funds.
Ruling on the matter, the chairman of the Committee, Senator Hassan Dankwambo (Gombe North) rejected the NMDPRA’s defence and ordered a tripartite meeting involving all key stakeholders.
“In view of the unacceptability of presentations made by the representative of NMDPRA on queries raised against it in the NEITI Oil and Gas Audit report. This committee resolved to summon the heads of NMDPRA, NNPCL, and NEITI to explain the reasons behind these wide disparities,” Dankwambo said.
The Senate panel is expected to announce the date for the tripartite hearing in the coming days.
What You Should Know
The Senate is investigating a significant mismatch in the official numbers reported by government agencies regarding how much fuel was imported into Nigeria between 2022 and 2023. Because the figures from the regulatory authority and the national oil company do not match up, lawmakers are demanding direct accountability from agency leaders to prevent possible financial mismanagement.
- Positive Impact: Increased legislative oversight could lead to better transparency, tighter accountability, and improved management of public resources within the petroleum sector.
- Potential Concerns: Large discrepancies in critical fuel supply records highlight systemic inefficiencies, raising concerns about data accuracy and governance in the country’s oil and gas industry.
