How petroleum ministry officials 'hid N535 million expenditure vouchers from audit team'

How petroleum ministry officials ‘hid N535 million expenditure vouchers from audit team’

September 10, 2017Oladeinde Olawoyin

NNPC TOWERS

Thirty-nine payment vouchers of a total amount of N535 million (N535,662,523.40) for both recurrent and capital expenditure were hidden by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and not handed over for audit during a recent audit exercise, a report from the Auditor-General’s office has revealed.

The report noted that the payment vouchers, which include N21 million (N21, 583,677) for recurrent expenditure and N514 million (N514,078,646.11) for capital expenditure, “were hidden and not produced for audit examination during the time of audit exercise despite the demand for them.”

The report, signed by the Auditor General, noted further that this may indicate that the expenditures the vouchers represent were illegitimate.
“In view of this, I find it difficult to accept these expenditures as proper and legitimate charges against public funds.

“The payment vouchers should be produced for audit otherwise the total expenditure of N535,662,523.40 (Five hundred and thirty-five million, six hundred and sixty-two thousand, five hundred and twenty-three naira, forty kobo) made should be recovered from the payees,” the report said.

Similarly, between July and December, 2015, the report revealed that the sum of N1 million (N1,093,000.00) was paid to 13 individual accounts and organisations without raising payment vouchers and posting into the Cash book of the same ministry.

This, it explained, is contrary to Financial Regulation 601 which states that “Under no circumstance shall a cheque be raised or cash paid for service for which a voucher has not been raised.”

The Auditor General, therefore, instructed that the N1,093,000.00 be recovered from the signatories to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, GIFMIS, platform and recovery details furnished for verification.

The report also revealed that 52 advances granted to 46 officers for a total sum of N18 million (N18, 034,200.00) between January and August, 2015, were not retired as at the time of audit in August, 2016.
Four of the officers got more than one advance without retiring the previous one, the report revealed, contrary to the provision of the Financial Regulation 1420 which states that “it is the responsibility of all Accounting Officers to ensure that all advances granted to officers are fully recovered.”

The audit report instructed, however, that the outstanding advances totalling N18 million (N18.034,200.00) should be recovered from the officers immediately while recovery particulars should be forwarded for verification.

Efforts to get the reaction of the NNPC to the report were unsuccessful. Its spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, did not return calls or reply a text message sent to him.

The 2015 audit, the latest by the office of the auditor general, has unearthed several revelations of alleged fraud in government expenditure in 2015.

PREMIUM TIMES recently reported how according to the audit, payments totalling N11,700, 000 were made by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to enable Minister, Aisha Alhassan, and some other staff members to embark on ‘familiarisation visits’ to unnamed skill acquisition centres in selected states in 2015.

Interestingly, part of the funds was spent on November 11, 2015, the day the minister was officially sworn-in.

The 656-page audit report also revealed how cumulative unremitted revenue from domestic crude oil sales by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, stood at about N3.878 trillion as at December 31, 2015.

The report, which formed part of the submissions in the 2015 Annual Audit Report of the Federal Government Account said the state–owned oil company withheld about N644.377 billion in 2015 alone.

The report also said that at least 44 assorted arms belonging to the Nigerian police could not be accounted for between 2013 and 2015, raising fears the weapons could have ended up in the wrong hands.

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Top News

A.T Awofisayo

DEAR EDITOR,

Buhari is badly losing the war against corruption

Muhamadu Buhari has no place in history as a waste of space. All that Buhari
could be footnoted for is for exposing the rank hypocrisy of Bola Tinubu and his
AREWA FORUM masters whom he joined in an Islamist alliance to campaign for
illiteracy as the ideal leadership standard for Nigeria. Because the basis
of Buhari’s election is lies and fraud, it is little surprising that after two years in
office Nigeria remains on the same spot as the 136th worst corrupt country in
the world, according to 2017 Transparency International’s Global Corruption index.
Under Jonathan Nigeria was similarly on that same spot of 136th worst corrupt.
In total 176 countries were assessed for clean governance across the world.

Buhari had also exposed
Olusegun Obasanjo in that respect. It was Obasanjo who came into the public
domain to disgrace himself forever as an immature and insincere old man who
cannot tell the truth on Buhari’s yet unseen Wasc/Gce certificate which Buhari
solemnly swore on oath he has but still can’t show or prove till now.

Obasanjo said in public that he himself does not know
the whereabouts of his own Wasc/Gce certificate, thius implying falsely and naively
like a quack lawyer with no schooling in logic at all that it is usual to lose credentials
and not have a police report of any loss and lots worse, become disabled to ask the
examining body for a back copy or for a declaration in lieu of a Wasc/Gce certificate,
allegedly lost, if an original ever existed.
- Enter the Dragon
  
  @disqus_NyVwwG2r74:disqus
  
  Premium Times must do more to help us – the common people because the way stealing has been going on,
  we will not have any country left that can be called Nigeria. Just look at the robbery at the NNPC and at the
  Ministry of Petroleum! The thieves now hired journalists to say that we should forgive and forget because
  the main thief called Dizeani Allison-Madueke has cancer. So what? People who have cancer go to jail too.
  Why not Dizeani Allison-Madueke? People who have cancer can face firing squad too. So what is new there?
  
  We want Premium Times to start BRUTAL JOURNALISM because this European standard one will not work.
  Nigerian government officials are big thieves, not officials, but thieves, so Premium Times must go brutal.
  Thieves are supposed to be killed – anywhere in the world – we are not to discuss any issue with thieves.
  Buhari is too useless to fight any corruption, therefore we need BRUTAL JOURNALISM to fight corruption.
  No discussion with thieves again, just take tape and hide under their beds with camera, to expose them.
  After that, the ordinary people will now arm with guns as revolutionary militias to kill the treasury thieves.
  - Credo O’Revo
    
    @disqus_NyVwwG2r74:disqus
    
    NIGERIANS, NIGERIANS, NIGERIANS rise from slumber and kill your treasury thieves,
    
    if you want a good country for yourselves and for your children because for so long as
    
    treasury thieves are free and safe you will accept stealing as the meaning of success!!
- Last Nigerian Patriot
  
  MUHAMADU BUHARI IS A HATE SPEECH THAT MUST NOT BE DISCUSSED IN PUBLIC FORUM
Romberg

This must have happened during GEJ’s regime? August 2015, the report reads! So there is no PDP to blame this time. And guess who the minister of petroleum is? He would have been sacked if otherwise! Copiously shameful.
Folabi Wright

@disqus_NyVwwG2r74:disqus

Goodluck Jonathan has a case to answer on these uncovered genocidal thefts
inspired or perpetrated by his appointed Minister (Mrs. Dizeani Allison-Madueke;
whom U.S officials reportedly said stole as much as six[6]billion dollars, according
to a leak made by Information Minister Lai Muhammed). There is no way Goodluck
Jonathan can say he was a sane and mentally sound president of Nigeria at the
time these thefts occurred but that he did not approve it by stealth or
overlooked it with intent. Goodluck Jonathan will sooner or later be arrested
as accomplice to these thefts. There’s no way he can escape the dragnet.
Already Mrs. Dizeani Allison-Madueke and her other accomplices; namely, Kola
Aluko and Jide Omokore, are facing criminal proceedings in United States of
America, Britain, Nigeria, Italy and potentially in Switzerland and Bahamas
where some of these stlen assets were hidden.
- Frank Bassey
  
  You must be on the fast lane to self-destruction. Look at this:
  BUHARI’S RECENT APPOINTMENTS AT NNPC – SIGN OF AN UPRIGHT SAINT WITHOUT CORRUPTION
  
  1. Shaibu Musa – MD, NNPC Medical Services
  2. Ibrahim Birma – Group General Manager, Audit Division
  3. Ahmed Katagum – Group GM Shipping
  4. Kallamu Abdullahi – Group GM, Renewable Energy Divion
  5. Dr Bola Afolabi – Group GM, Research & Development
  6. Adeyemi Adetunji – MD, NNPC Retail Division
  7. Usman Yusuf – Group GM, NNPC GMD Office
  8. Bala Wunti – in charge of Corporate Planning & Strategy
  9. Umar Ajiya – MD, Nigerian Products Marketing Company
  10. Muhammed Abah – MD, Warri Refining Petrochemical Company
  11. Malami Shehu – MD, Port Harcourt Refining Company
  12. Adewale Ladenegan – MD, Kaduna Refining Petrochemical Co
  13. Diepriye Tariah – MD, Integrated Data Services
  14. Rland Wubare – GM National Petroleum InvestmentServices
  NOTE: Maikanti Baru – still GMD, NNPC.
  Where are the oil-producing states?
arrowhead

@disqus_NyVwwG2r74:disqus;

HE HAD NO SHOES BUT HE BREACHED HIS COUNTRY’S TRUST AND STOLE HIS COUNTRY BLIND.
THIS IS THE STORY OF A PH.D HOLDER WHO WENT TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY AS A PRESIDENT –
ONLY TO TAKE PHOTOS AND GO BACK TO THE VILLA TO ROB THE TREASURY OF HIS COUNTRY,
WHILST CHEWING ON THE BREAD OF HOLY COMMUNION; LIKE A MENTALLY DIS-ORDERED MAN.
- Frank Bassey
  
  “Similarly, between July and December, 2015, the report revealed that the
  sum of N1 million (N1,093,000.00) was paid to 13 individual accounts
  and organisations without raising payment vouchers and posting into the
  Cash book of the same ministry”
  YOU MUST BE FEEDING ON MAGGOTS TO PUSH THE BLAME TO GEJ, WHEN YOU HAVE A PRETENTIOUS CHARACTER AS MINISTER OF PETROLEUM WHO HAS TURNED NNPC INTO NORTHERN NIGERIA PETROLEUM CORPORATION.
  LOOK AT THE POST I MADE ABOVE AND SEE WHY NEMESIS MUST TAKE ITS FULL COURSE ON THOSE SILENTLY LOOTING THE OIL MONEY THAT IS GENERATED FROM OUR REGION.
Frank Bassey

A LOT IS GOING ON AT THE NORTHERN NIGERIA PETROLEUM CORPORATION. LOOK AT WHAT OUR PETROLEUM MINISTER IS DOING, PRETENDING HE IS A HOLY, SAINTLY IMAM:

BUHARI’S RECENT APPOINTMENTS AT NNPC – SIGN OF AN UPRIGHT SAINT WITHOUT CORRUPTION

1. Shaibu Musa – MD, NNPC Medical Services
2. Ibrahim Birma – Group General Manager, Audit Division
3. Ahmed Katagum – Group GM Shipping
4. Kallamu Abdullahi – Group GM, Renewable Energy Divion
5. Dr Bola Afolabi – Group GM, Research & Development
6. Adeyemi Adetunji – MD, NNPC Retail Division
7. Usman Yusuf – Group GM, NNPC GMD Office
8. Bala Wunti – in charge of Corporate Planning & Strategy
9. Umar Ajiya – MD, Nigerian Products Marketing Company
10. Muhammed Abah – MD, Warri Refining Petrochemical Company
11. Malami Shehu – MD, Port Harcourt Refining Company
12. Adewale Ladenegan – MD, Kaduna Refining Petrochemical Co
13. Diepriye Tariah – MD, Integrated Data Services
14. Rland Wubare – GM National Petroleum InvestmentServices
NOTE: Maikanti Baru – still GMD, NNPC.
Where are the oil-producing states?
- Lorgne
  
  The report was for 2015. Read before making any comments.
AryLoyds

What do you expect when you have this kind of people running around the fulani estate of Nigeria
NNPC RECENT APPOINTMENTS OF THE FED REP OF NORTHERN NIG 🙂
Nepotism at its finest !

1. Shaibu Musa – MD, NNPC Medical Services
2. Ibrahim Birma – Group General Manager, Audit Division
3. Ahmed Katagum – Group GM Shipping
4. Kallamu Abdullahi – Group GM, Renewable Energy Divion
5. Dr Bola Afolabi – Group GM, Research & Development
6. Adeyemi Adetunji – MD, NNPC Retail Division
7. Usman Yusuf – Group GM, NNPC GMD Office
8. Bala Wunti – in charge of Corporate Planning & Strategy
9. Umar Ajiya – MD, Nigerian Products Marketing Company
10. Muhammed Abah – MD, Warri Refining Petrochemical Company
11. Malami Shehu – MD, Port Harcourt Refining Company
12. Adewale Ladenegan – MD, Kaduna Refining Petrochemical Co
13. Diepriye Tariah – MD, Integrated Data Services
14. Rland Wubare – GM National Petroleum InvestmentServices
NOTE: Maikanti Baru – still GMD, NNPC.
Dr Pat Kolawole Awosan

If the auditors, could deliberately or corruptly omitted N535 Naira, expenditure while auditing the ministry of petroleum resources, it shows the auditors are not competent and corrupt-ridden.Such auditors, must be sacked and all fees collected for their services must be refunded to the Federal Government treasury..
JasV

This auditor general is a clown. First of all he or she or it is crying when the head is already off. How can you be crying in 2017 for actions/misdeeds of 2014/2015. Besides, at least one provisional audit should take place every six months. Secondly, it is a crime not to produce documents for the purpose of auditing, even FOI laws allow people who are not even involved in running of an MDA to request and obtain necessary information not to talk of an auditor. What steps did he/she/it take to get the relevant officers arrested for not supplying the necessary payment vouchers?
Dr Pat Kolawole Awosan

All staff members of the petroleum ministry and auditors that handled the auditing service, must be sacked effectively as traces of corruption culture is still very much the order of business.The petroleum ministry is yet to adopt the anti-corruption war introduced by president Muhammadu Buhari.The auditing fees paid to the auditors must be refunded by the auditors forthwith.
- John Oputa
  
  and who is this petroleum minister?
- Absolutely Sane
  
  Dr please take it easy. Why would the Auditors be sacked when the report you read now is actually the product of the good job? The focus should be on the affected ministries and parastatals.
  I am baffled at the way some agencies of government are functioning effectively these days. Have they not been in place all these years? If audit exercise like has been carried regularly like this in the past, corruption would have been stemmed.
  Kudos to the Auditor General and Kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari for the changes we are seeing now.