House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing petroleum products subsidy regime from 2013 -2022 has summoned the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, to appear before it within seven days.
The panel, which issued the summon, at an investigative hearing, yesterday, said the minister is to appear before it with all relevant documents relating to subsidy payments for the period under review.
Its Chairman, Ibrahim Aliyu, at the commencement of yesterday’s hearing had decried the repeated failure of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) invited for the investigative to honour the invitation of the ad-hoc committee.
He warned that sanctions will be meted out to MDAs and companies that failed to honour the committee’s summons. He noted that the panel is not out to witchhunt anyone
Nevertheless, the lawmaker said Ahmed should furnish the committee with “the total amount released from the Consolidated Revenue Account as subsidy payments from January 2013 to date.
“The total amount released from other accounts other than the consolidated revenue account to subsidy payments from January 2013 to date, breakdown of beneficiaries; companies that enjoyed releases from consolidated revenue account and other revenue accounts as subsidy payments. Identify each beneficiary with the amount sent to them month by month covering the period between January 2013 to date.
“All correspondences between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria regarding subsidy payments from January 2013 to date; evidence of lodgement of forex into Consolidated Revenue account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation now Limited as revenue from January 2013 to date.”
Aliyu added that the finance minister is also expected to bring documents relating to “outstanding deposits expected from the NNPC to the consolidated revenue account indicating periods, years and dates.
