Jonathan receives NNPC audit report on ‘missing’ fund

Nigeria’s Senior Partner at PriceWaterHouse, Uyi Akpata, yesterday presented the report to Jonathan at the State House, Abuja, in the presence of the Auditor-General of the Federation, Samuel Ukura.
Akpata did not give details of the report, but only said: “It is a privilege for us to have carried out this exercise on behalf of the government and I hope that you will find this report useful”.
Jonathan had on March 12 last year, engaged PriceWaterHouse to carry out a detailed investigation into NNPC’s accounts sequel to an allegation by former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, that the corporation failed to remit $20bn into the federation account.
Jonathan, while receiving the report yesterday, described media reports on NNPC’s activities as ridiculous, saying figures he could not even believe Nigeria had were being tagged as missing funds.
The president directed the Auditor-General of the Federation to study the report and make the key highlights public within the week.
“There has been so much controversy over this NNPC and leakages or no leakages. I remember the Senate has also looked into it. It is also good that you professionals have also looked into it. What appears in the papers and the speculations are also very high, the figures that I cannot even imagine the country will make are being bandied in the newspapers. So, I am quite pleased that you have undertaken the forensic audit. Though it is voluminous, I will give it to professionals”, he said.
“Indeed, you mentioned the issue of reform in the sector, everybody knows that the sector needs to be reformed. By the time we go through the Petroleum Industry Bill and pass it into a law, most of these lapses will be corrected and the misconception will be properly addressed,” he added.
The president asked Nigerians not to entertain any fear over the future of the nation’s finances, saying, “Nigerians don’t need to be scared. This is something that Nigerians are interested in. They wanted to submit an interim report, but I said no, they must conclude this matter because it is a forensic audit and there is no room for interim report, so they must go back and conclude it and luckily they have concluded it”.