The management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Limited has dismissed allegation that it paid N20 billion to ghost contractors as fake new. The Company therefore said it welcomed the investigation launched by the House of Representatives into the allegation.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPCL, GarbaDeen Muhammad stated this in a statement on Friday, adding that the outcome of the investigation into the “false allegation will vindicate the company and put an end to all speculations concerning the matter.”
The Company had on Monday denied the story, which was published by an online medium, Sahara Reporters, allrging that NNPC paid N20 billion to ghost consultants and was involved in the theft of multi-billion naira tax due to the Ogun state government.
The company in a statement said it does not have or deal with ghost consultants, noting that there is an “N18 billion” dispute with Ogun State which is currently in court.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives resolved to investigate the alleged payment.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Ibrahim Kawu (APC, Kano) during plenary.
Mr Kawu said, “The staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company are reported to have diverted over N20 billion in the guise of consultancy fees paid to its consultants, Messrs Safaya.”
But in a statement Friday, the NNPC Ltd said it received with great relief the resolution of the House of Representatives to investigate allegations of the payment of a huge sum of twenty billion naira to “ghost consultants.”
The statement noted that NNPC Ltd had earlier refuted the allegations.
“Under the current Board and Management, NNPC Ltd has instituted a culture of transparency that includes making its annual Audited Financial Statements (AFS) public.
“It is in this light that the NNPC Ltd welcomes the resolution of the House of Representatives to investigate this very outrageous allegation.
“NNPC Ltd is confident that the outcome of any investigation into the false allegation will vindicate the company, and put an end to all speculations concerning the matter,” the statement said.