President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday formally received the report of forensic auditors engaged to carry out a detailed investigation into the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
An accounting firm, PriceWaterHouse, was last year hired to carry out the exercise following an allegation by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, that $20bn was not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC.
Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano, had written a letter to Jonathan that $49bn was not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC.
But following the controversy which the letter generated, a committee was set up to reconcile the account.
Sanusi later recanted and said the unremitted fund was $12bn. He later again changed the figure to $20bn.
The Nigeria Country Senior Partner of PriceWaterHouse, Uyi Akpata, on Monday presented the report to the President on behalf of the firm saying, “It is a privilege for us to have carried out this exercise on behalf of the government and I hope that you will find this report useful.”
Akpata did not give any insight into the forensic report.
In accepting the report however, Jonathan noted that the media and indeed Nigeria would be interested in the findings.
To this end, he directed the Auditor-General of the Federation to study the report and make the key highlights public within the week.
He said, “There has been so much of controversy over this NNPC and leakages or no leakages. I remember the Senate has also looked into it, it is also good that you professionals have also looked into it.
“What appears in the papers and the speculations is also very high, the figures that I cannot even imagine the country will make is being bandied in the newspapers.
“So, I am quite pleased that you have undertaken the forensic audit. Though it is voluminous, I will give it to the professionals.
“In government work, there are people that have the statutory responsibilities to handle such assignment which is the Auditor-General of the Federation.
“So, the Auditor-General will look at it and within the week, let us have key highlights because the media will want to know the key findings vis-a-vis the Senate’s findings and figures being bandied around in the newspapers.”
