A member of the House of Representatives, Moshood Mustapha, has criticised the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and her Petroleum Resources counterpart, Diezani Madueke, for refusing to release the forensic audit report on the operations of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
Mr. Mustapha, a member of All Progressives Congress from Kwara State, is the Vice-Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources.
The audit, undertaken by international firm PriceWaterHouseCoopers, indicted the NNPC and recommended that the national oil company refund about $1.48billion to the Federation Account for various unreconciled transactions.
The investigation was carried out over claim that $20 billion oil money had not been accounted for the government-owned company.
The Nigerian government has refused to make the report public despite public outcry. President Goodluck Jonathan only ordered the release of a “highlight” of the report early February, several months after the completion of work by PwC.
Analysts believe the report contains far more serious indictment than reflected in the “highlight”, hence the government’s decision to keep the document under wraps as a crucial election approaches.
In February, Ms. Alison-Madueke said the report will not be published ahead of the elections because Nigeria’s “rabid opposition” will find “all sorts of minute detail (in the full report) to create concern.”
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala and Alison-Madueke have refused to release the report despite a one-week ultimatum by the House of Representatives.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Mustapha condemned the refusal to publish the audit report, describing it as “part of characteristic impunity that defines this government”.
“A minister will feel she can do anything since she has a president that tolerates corruption or when she can go to the judiciary for injunctions to prevent the legislature from doing their constitutional work,” he said.
“Even if she does not honour the ultimatum issued to her to submit the audit report, we could have asked the police to arrest her but is the police independent under this administration to act rightly? But then, we allow Nigerians to see and judge them. And that’s why change is imminent come March 28. It’s not about Sarakis, Buharis, Ameachis but Nigerians’ determination to stop impunity and misgovernance,” he said.
He added that, “it seems to me as insanity when a government sees constructive criticism of the opposition as frustration. For me criticism from APC should make the PDP government more hardworking and do better in terms of governance, having had the consciousness some people are there to check them. Democracy as well as good governance is not possible without viable opposition,”
Mr. Mustapha said the current setting of Nigeria’s petroleum industry is characterised by a lack of transparency and accountability. This, he said, denies the government and citizens “huge funds that should have been freed up for developmental purposes.”
“The way it is nobody knows the quantity of oil we produce. Nobody knows what we earn daily, monthly or yearly. Nobody knows what we pay as part of our obligations in the exploration of crude oil. Nobody knows the account into which proceeds paid and in certain and transparent terms, what goes into the federation account daily.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/178410-missing-20-billion-rep-lambasts-okonjo-iweala-alison-madueke-for-withholding-report.html

Why are they withholding this forensic audit report?

What are they hiding from Nigerians?

This senseless lack of accountability and transparency has to stop!

Can the President kindly instruct Madam Iweala to release the report ASAP

How does the position of one man equal 'house of rep'?

Ikwokrikwo:
How does the position of one man equal 'house of rep'?

The Rep spoke in his capacity as the Vice-Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources. The house has severally condemned the refusal of the presidency to publish the details of the forensic report.

What are they hiding? Are there any details in the report that implicate the office of the Minister of Petroleum or the Presidency?

Is there anything straightforward about this government, or the president?

#change
#GMB
#APC

Collynzo419:


The Rep spoke in his capacity as the Vice-Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources. The house has severally condemned the refusal of the presidency to publish the details of the forensic report.

What are they hiding? Are there any details in the report that implicate the office of the Minister of Petroleum or the Presidency?

Your explanation doesn't make sense.
The man was speaking for himself.