Probe Missing $15.9bn NLNG Dividends, NETTI Tells Reps

The Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has urged the House of Representatives to probe the missing $15.9billion dividends the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd. paid to the Federal Government.
Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr Waziri Adio, who made the call at the ongoing investigative hearing on $17billion undeclared crude oil proceeds by an ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives, also said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)had yet to remit crude oil proceeds totalling $21.7billion to the Federation Account.
Adio said the dividend was from the Federal Government’s 49 per cent equity in the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd.
He said that the money was received by NNPC but has not been found in the Federation Account.
Adio said the missing fund was in addition to another $21billion confirmed crude oil sale, the proceed of which was not remitted to the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2011 and 2014.
“As a result of non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the country is losing $600million annually due to leakages,’’ he also disclosed.
He said that there were many loopholes in the process of crude oil lifting for export in the country that must be urgently addressed.
Adio equally said that reported loss of crude to theft and vandalism by three international companies operating in the country amounted to $15.8billion between 2011 and 2014.
According to him, the committee needs to be more clinical as the $15.8billion lost to theft and vandalism is likely to be part of the $17billion being investigated by it.
He said that the losses might have been incurred with active connivance of Nigerian officials at the oil lifting platforms.
The NEITI boss presented oil-lifting breakdown which revealed loss of 385million barrels in 2011, 402million barrels in 2012, 363million barrels in 2013 and 342million barrels in 2014.
He regretted that Nigeria had no comprehensive mechanism at for monitoring and evaluating actual oil lifted at the loading platforms.
According to him, rather than three, Nigeria has two that were not properly placed, and as a result, officials have to rely on third part reports which may not reflect the true amount of crude lifted.
“Nigeria is losing revenue to oil theft on industrial scale and at a time, it is easy to see physical stealing of oil from a low flying helicopter.
“There are several things that must be looked into with a view of taking necessary action.
“For instance, the NNPC got $15.9billion as Nigeria’s returns for its 49 per cent equity in NLNG Ltd.
“Meanwhile, this dividend was collected by the NNPC but was not found in the Federation Account.
“We need to ask questions on what happened to the money.”
Adio said NEITI wrote the NNPC on the non-remittances several times, adding that though the corporation confirmed the figures, nothing had been done about it till date.
Besides the unremitted revenue, Adio informed the committee that Nigeria lost $15.9bn worth of crude oil to outright stealing and vandalism during the four years under review.
Giving the year-by-year breakdown, Adio said $4.3billion was lost in 2011; $2.72billion in 2012; $4.7billion in 2013; and $4.1billion in 2014.
He expressed concern that until Nigeria installed a technology-driven system with a command centre to monitor crude movement and exports, the country would continue to “record monumental losses.”
Adio added, “We cannot afford these losses as an economy, looking at the strategic importance of oil to us.
The committee, which is chaired by a member of the All Progressives Congress from Adamawa State, Abdulrazak Namdas, is investigating the alleged theft of $17billion crude and gas resources from the country between 2011 and 2014.