By Newsworld

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee is set to question officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over audit queries involving more than ₦802.19 billion.

The queries are contained in reports of the Auditor-General for the Federation covering the 2021, 2022 and 2023 financial years and border on alleged irregularities in procurement, revenue management, payments, statutory remittances and compliance with financial regulations.

Tinubu Meets Uzodinma In Lagos, Details Of Meeting Emerge

The committee, chaired by Rep. Bamidele Salam, representing Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency of Osun State, is expected to demand explanations and supporting documents from the affected agencies.

A member of the committee, who spoke anonymously, said the hearings would commence on Monday, October 5, with several agencies appearing before the panel, while NNPCL and INEC officials are expected to appear on Tuesday, October 6, at the National Assembly Complex.

According to the lawmaker, the Auditor-General’s 2021 report raised queries of about ₦514 billion against NNPCL, including an alleged ₦343.64 billion in irregular deductions from domestic crude oil sales. Other issues reportedly include ₦83.66 billion allegedly warehoused from miscellaneous revenue in a sinking fund account, ₦82.95 billion in alleged unauthorised deductions from Federation revenue and a reported ₦3.75 billion shortfall arising from the sale of petroleum products.

On INEC, the committee is expected to examine alleged breaches involving procurement procedures, payments to contractors and failure to remit statutory deductions. The queries relate to transactions during the tenure of former INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who has since been appointed an ambassador.

The lawmaker also disclosed that the committee would examine questions surrounding expenditure beginning from the 2019 general election. The Auditor-General’s 2022 report reportedly queried the payment of more than ₦5.31 billion for the supply of smart card readers for the 2019 election without prior approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement.

Other agencies expected to appear before the committee include the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Federal Capital Territory Judicial Service Commission, Federal Colleges of Education in Okene and Gombe, University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, National Mathematical Centre, National Power Training Centre, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology and the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency.

The hearings are part of the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight of public funds and are expected to give the affected agencies an opportunity to provide explanations and relevant documents in response to the Auditor-General’s queries.