NNPC dismisses latest CBN claims of unremitted $20b

NNPC-Towers, Abuja

WorldStage Newsonline-- The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday dismissed the latest claim by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor, Sanusi Lamido that it was yet to remit $20 billion into the Federation account.

Sanusi earlier on Tuesday told a Senate Committee probing the allegation of unremitted funds, that the NNPC shipped $67 billion in crude and remitted only $47 billion into the Federation leaving a shortfall of $20 billion

However, the Acting Group General Manager Public Affairs of NNPC, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim in a statement said that Nigerians should not take the CBN Governor seriously “since this is not the first time he would be making what he calls a wild allegation.

The NNPC said Mallam Sanusi was confusing the role of NPDC as part of NNPC’s.

 ‘‘Let me make this point clear that CBN is a banking outfit, not a petroleum outfit,” the statement said.

“It is therefore understandable why they keep making unsubstantiated claims, which a little understanding of the technicalities of the oil industry would have saved them from making.

“The CBN is not an auditing outfit but what it is doing now is auditing.”

NNPC is still expected to make a presentation before Senate committee which had adjourned till 10am on Thursday, February 13, 2014.