NNPC faults report of 17.87m barrels of oil exported without documentation

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has reacted to a report that 17.877 million barrels of crude oil were exported without proper documentation from 2016 to 2020, saying it is misleading and untrue.

A report, quoting the former auditor-general of the federation (AuGF), had accused some exporters of shipping crude oil without completing the required Nigeria export proceeds (NXP) forms.

The AuGF was also said to have faulted NNPC Limited for appointing inspection agents in 2017, in flagrant disregard of a preceding directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.

But the NNPC in a statement on Thursday by its spokesman,Garba Deen Muhammad, said the claims were ‘malicious’.

It said the AuGF’s report mentioned 32 oil marketing companies involved in the non-completion of NXP forms.

It added that the issue did not affect repatriation of sales proceeds to the national oil company and subsequently, the federal accounts, for the period in question.

The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to an online publication, alleging that NNPC Limited exported 17.877 million barrels of crude oil without proper documentation in four years (2016 to 2020).

“The auditor-general’s report in reference did mention 32 oil marketing companies involved in the non-completion of the NXP forms but that does not in any way mean that the proceeds from the sale of the said crude were not repatriated into the coffers of NNPC Limited and consequently into the federation accounts for federation related barrels.

“It should also be noted that NNPC Limited does not appoint inspection agents as alleged, but rather, it is the sole responsibility of the federal ministry of finance.

“Therefore, the general public is advised to disregard the said malicious publication, and instead, visit the relevant auditor-general’s website to see the full content of the audit report, and be guided accordingly.”