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Petrol Subsidy Probe: Nigerian Lawmakers Summon Finance Minister

The Nigerian Green chamber ’Ad Hoc Committee has summoned the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, to appear before it on Tuesday for interrogation over the management of Petrol subsidy in the country.

The Minister is expected to appear before the committee, currently investigating the Petroleum Products Subsidy administration between 2013 and 2022, with all the documents relating to subsidy claims and payments in the period under review as required by the lawmakers.

Punch reports that Chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Aliyu, issued the summons at the continued investigative hearing of the panel in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to the report, members of the committee condemned the appearance of the ministry’s Director of Home Finance, Stephen Okon, without a letter from the Minister permitting him to represent her.

The committee also was dismayed by the non-appearance of many invited agencies including; the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shell Petroleum Development Company, among others.

“This committee requested from you to know 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 the 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 from 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 lodgments of forex into Consolidated Revenue Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation now (Nigerian National Petroleum Company) Limited as revenue from January 2013 to date.” The report quoted Aliyu.

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