FG to release forensic audit report on NNPC

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."