FG begin N2.7tn subsidy debt probe, enlists auditor general

The Federal Government has begun the proposed audit of the N2.7tn fuel subsidy claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, The According has learnt.

An audit firm, KPMG had conducted an initial audit reducing the claims from N6tn to N2.7tn.

However, in the new audit, the government said it had approved the engagement of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation to verify the claims made by the corporation regarding the amount the government owes the oil firm.

This process was confirmed by the Director, Home Finance, Ali Mohammed, during the April 2024 Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting.

The government said an update on the issue would be provided during the May FAAC meeting.

The According had reported last month that the audit would span from 2015 to 2021, aiming to verify the authenticity of NNPC/Federation Account claims on the N2.7tn while it considered hiring an external audit firm.

On May 30, 2023, a few hours after the “subsidy is gone” declaration by President Bola Tinubu, the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, told State House correspondents that the federal government still owes the firm the sum of N2.8tn spent on petrol subsidy.

While saying the NNPCL footed petrol subsidy bills from its cash flow, Kyari said the government had so far been unable to pay back the N2.8tn.

He said “Since the provision of the N6tn in 2022, and N3.7tn in 2023, we have not have not received any payment whatsoever from the Federation.

“That means they (the Federal Government) are unable to pay and we’ve continued to support this subsidy from the cash flow of the NNPC. We are waiting for them to settle up to N2.8tn of NNPC’s cash flow from the subsidy regime and we can’t continue to build this.”

However, a copy of the minutes of the FAAC meeting obtained by our correspondent, however, revealed that the government had begun the audit of the N2.6tn subsidy claim.

The minute read in part, “On the forensic audit covering the period 2015 to 2021 to authenticate NNPC/Federation claims in respect of N2.7tn withheld by NNPC Limited: The Director, Home Finance informed members that the process of the forensic audit of NNPC Limited as reported at the last meeting was in progress. He assured that an update would be provided on the matter at the next meeting.”

Members of the committee also bemoaned the refusal of the NNPCL to comply with the revised exchange rate of N693.50/$1 in converting federation revenue.

According to them, NNPCL has declined to adhere to the revision of the May 2023 Central Bank of Nigeria exchange rate from N436.38/$1 to N621.86/$1, and subsequently to N693.50/$1, as instructed by the CBN.

On the refusal by NNPC Ltd to comply with the revised exchange rate of N693.50/$1 in converting Federation revenue, the Vice Chairman, Post-Mortem Sub-committee,  warned that “If NNPC Ltd continues to disregard the use of the agreed rate without presenting any authority to that effect, FAAC will be left with no option but to take appropriate action to recover the Federation funds.”

The minute further read, “At the last meeting of FAAC, it was reported that there was a review of the May 2023 CBN Exchange rate from N436.38/$1 to N621.86/$1 and a further review to N693.50/$1 in line with the directive of CBN. NNPCL was directed to comply with the revised exchange rate of N693.50/$1 and re-compute all the Royalties, Taxes and other revenue items for May 2023 and revert.”

 The official informed the meeting that at the April 2024 meeting of the sub-committee, NNPCL complained that the proposed review would result in a refund of N16,829,747,742.96 to the Federation Account by the company.

He concluded that the sub-committee expected that the Federation Account be refunded the amount of the exchange rate but NNPCL used it to defray the subsidy claim. He recommended that FAAC should decide on the matter.

He recalled that the sub-committee had reported the implication of the “weighted average rate” on PMS computation and discovered that the exchange rate differential for the period of June to December 2023 was N937,961,442,969.83, contrary to the NNPCL claim of N1,675,920,811,819.

He stated that the Sub-committee recognised only the exchange rate that was backed by law and that NNPCL was mandated to provide authorisation for the use of weighted average exchange rate on PMS Dollar payments. He disclosed that NNPCL in response, requested the Sub-committee to write the company officially to enable the release of the NEC approval on the issue.

He suggested that NNPC Ltd should be called to order and hoped that the matter could be resolved amicably with the company.

The Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Akinola Ojo, also proposed that NNPC Ltd should be made to refund the money even if by next month, a resolution could not be reached on the issue.