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Audit Query: NNPC GMD, 17 subsidiaries again fail to appear Before Reps C’tte

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***panel Accuses MTN of Tax Evasion

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company, (NNPC) limited and its 17 subsidiaries for the umpteenth time failed to appear before the Public Account Committee of the House Representatives to answer to multiple audit queries raised against them by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation

The committee is investigating NNPC limited, the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) alongside telecommunication firm, MTN based on the annual audit report of the Auditor General of the Federation, (AGoF) between 2014-2019 financial year and non rendition of audited account by NNPC subsidiaries covering the same period

The NNPC Management had pleaded with the Committee two weeks ago to issue fresh summons on the 17 subsidiaries through the Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari.
This followed the observation of the Committee that the GMD might have been shielding them from honouring several summons issued to them with total assurance that the GMD would produce them before the Committee

However, At the resumed hearing of the Committee sitting on Wednesday, the NNPC in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Committee, Hon Busayo Oluwole Oke (Osun- PDP) the Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari stated that he was engaged in a function on theft of crude oil in the Niger Delta, hence his unavailability

The Committee therefore, ceded to his request for an extension of time and fixed 29th April when Kyari would appear in person with the relevant documents for the investigation

The committee was however, frowned at MTN’s unwillingness to cooperate by tendering requested documents that would ease the findings of the lawmakers.
The Chairman of the committee described the attitude of the telecom firm as ‘disrespectful to the parliament” especially that the company replied parliament’s invitation letter to the MD through an Executive Director, MD

Besides, the lawmakers lamented the abuse of fiscal regulations by individuals and companies doing business in the country as most of them were found to be evading taxes

The General Manager, (GM) financial operations of MTN Yemisi Adeleye who appeared before the lawmakers failed to tender a certificate of assets status of the company, issued her organization by the ministry of trade and investment

The certificate was expected to contain the assets of the company which would determine how much tax was expected of them.

Since incorporation in 2001, the GM said that MTN had invested more than N3.4 trillion into the Nigerian economy and had paid more than N2.5 trillion in taxes, levies and other regulatory fees as at December 2021 including N669 billion in 2021 alone

The Committee directed the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to furnish it with all MTN import duty documents as well as other relevant tax documents to ascertain if waivers were given legally or wrongly to the telecom firm

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Legislature

Akpabio debunks impeachment rumour, says Senate is stable, harmonious

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The Senate President Godswill Akpabio has debunked the rumour that some senators were plotting to impeach him.

Reating to the insinuation through his special adviser (Media and Publicity) Eseme Eyiboh in a statement, he said the Senate is stable and harmonious as it cannot be distracted by the innuendo of the merchants of political tar brush.

Eyiboh describe the rumour as a syndicated media attack from outside the precincts of the National Assembly
Reacting to what he described as syndicated reports in some weekend newspapers about plots to distabilise the Senate and its leadership, Eyiboh said the reports were complete imaginations and sometimes laced with malice to achieve what senators are yet to comprehend.

According to him the Senate has since gone past the experience of the keenly contested leadership election
Eyiboh said the plot to drag in Senators who initially did not support the emergence of the present leadership into a conspiracy that does not exist was uncharitable to the senators and a needless umbrage.

“Senators are presently concluding their holidays in their constituencies and other places they have chosen to spend their time after the rigours of the inauguration and ministerial screening and other constructive engagements,” Eyiboh said.

“All senators are also refreshing themselves ahead of the resumption, therefore, any suggestions that they are presently engaged in other subversive plots against the institution is rather uncharitable. “It is mostly uncharitable for those senators who initially did not support the emergence of the leadership but who have all unanimously endorsed the Senator Akpabio-led leadership. Continuing to link these senators with needless conspiracy with barely disguised innuendo is rather unkind.

“We call on the media not to give in to the conspiratorial tales, and not to give damage to the reputations that they have built over time,” Eyiboh concluded.

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Legislature

Senate says, rumour of impeachment of Akpabio is a ruse

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The Senate on Saturday described as a ruse the rumour making the rounds in some media that some Senators were planning to impeach the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

A press statement by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu said, “our attention has just been drawn to a syndicated satanic verses in a section of the media, of purported and illusory plots of leadership change in the Senate.
Top politicians strongly opposed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, were alleged to have planned to remove him when the Senate resumes later this month.

The forces were reported to be upset that the former Akwa Ibom State Governor is playing the role of a lap dog for President Tinubu rather than serving the overall interest of lawmakers and Nigerians

They alleged that Akpabio’s closeness to the president has made him not pay full attention to his colleagues and work hard enough to meet the expectations of Nigerians despite the challenges in the country.
But Adaramodu said,
“The Nigerian Senate is one united and fraternal family. This imaginative composition is in the realm of the fake and fallacious story of 100m per legislator. It’s apt to note that the 10th Senate, under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, has carried out its legislative and constitutional duties diligently.

“Within a span of less than 60 Legislative days, the Senate has passed life enhancing bills and motions. It has screened and confirmed service chiefs and ministers, among others, apart from very essential oversight functions.

“We urge the fifth columnists, who operate undoubtedly outside the Senate, desperate to cause disharmony through media stunts and thus clipping the wings of Nigeria’s democracy, to take caution.

“The Senate should be allowed fresh air to settle down for its national assignments so that the Nigerian project can move forward. The media, too, should be discerning not to be used as hand tools to these retailers of fake and bad news,” the statement added.

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Legislature

Benue North-East Senatorial contest: Senator Suswam returns as Tribunal Sacks APC’s Udende

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Senator Gabriel Suswam of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been returned as the senator-elect for Benue North-East as the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sacked Senator Emmanuel Udende of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Udende as the winner of the Benue North-East senatorial election held on February 25.

Suswam, a member of the 9th senate, had lost his bid to return to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

But he had proceeded to the court, arguing that Udende did not score majority of the lawful votes cast in the 25th February, 2023 for the Benue North East Senatorial District election.

Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Ory Zik-Ikeorha and another member, ruled in the favour of Suswam and PDP.

The duo, in their judgment, averred that Suswam and PDP fulfilled the requirement of the law in proving their case of irregularities such as mutilation, non-signing of documents, non-inclusion of lawful votes, among others.

But, in a minority judgement, Justice Umar Mohammed, opposed the decision of the two other members of the panel, saying that the petitioner failed to proved his case.

Mohammed held that Suswam who called 19 witnesses most of who were irrelevant as the irregularities complained about were at the polling units and instead he called ward agents instead of polling unit agents.

Suswam and PDP’s petition was predicated on the ground that Udende did not score majority of the lawful votes cast during the election.

Justice Mohammed held that the evidence by Suswam was grossly insufficient to sustain his petition.

He therefore, dismissed the petition and awarded the cost of N100,000 in favour of each of the respondents against the petitioner.

Meanwhile, Innocent Daagba, on behalf of the APC, said, “we are not satisfied with the decision and will advice my client to appeal.”

The PDP, through Bemgba Iortyom, the State Publicity Secretary has applaude the judgment and congratulated the Senator.

The immediate past Governor of the State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has also sent his congratulatory to Senator Suswam over his victory at the tribunal.

Ortom said the victory of Senator Suswam has further proven the capacity of the judiciary to uphold justice and serve as the bastion of democracy.

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