In an ongoing defense of the unremitted sum of $19.25 billion by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from its crude oil sales in 2014, the House of Representatives bucked at the corporation’s reading of the NNPC Act.
Members of the House of Representatives and the NNPC lock horns on the interpretation of the provisions of the NNPC Act.
The ball of inquiry was set in motion by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAGF), after some discrepancies were found in the corporation’s account, dating back to 2014.
Representing the corporation was Mele Kyari who said that the NNPC was acting based on “the provisions of the law”.
Kyari said, “What we do is backed by the provisions of the law. First the NNPC Act is very clear that we should submit revenues net of our cost.
“There is also an informed decision of the Supreme Court and also the Attorney General of the Federation that the position is correct and supported by the provisions of the law.”
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Reacting to Kyari’s comments, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Oluwole Oke, said that the provisions of the NNPC Act needed to be juxtaposed with sections 80 and 81 of the Nigerian Constitution.
He said, “We need to read the provisions of the NNPC Act along with sections 80 and 81 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be able to decide which is superior and which we are to follow.
“We will set up a sub-committee of legal minded members to read through the judgment of the Supreme Court on this matter vis-a-vis the letter from Office of the Attorney General.
“We need to make an informed position of the matter. If the Supreme Court has taken a position, we need to be mindful of such.
“If we are in disagreement, the best option we have is to go into legislation, because it means the court has clearly interpreted the provisions of the law. Sources of law are judicial precedents.
“That is the way we can come up with an enactment, amendment, or repeal. So I want to suggest that we reserve ruling on the query bordering on deductions at source.”
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