The committee, chaired by Senator Ahmed Wadada Dankwambo, reached the decision on Wednesday after rejecting the NMDPRA’s explanation for the significant differences between its import figures and those submitted by NNPCL.
The discrepancies were highlighted in the NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report covering 2021 to 2023, which prompted queries to the petroleum regulatory authority.
Appearing before the committee, the NMDPRA’s Authority Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, was represented by Deputy Director Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe, who defended the credibility of the authority’s records despite the inconsistencies.
Ugwu-Ojobe told the lawmakers that the NMDPRA recorded 3.29 billion litres of petrol imports in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres in 2023.
However, NNPCL’s records put the corresponding volumes at 6.27 billion litres in 2022 and 3.88 billion litres in 2023.
She acknowledged the differences, saying they were being examined to determine whether the figures could be reconciled.
“The slight disparities are being looked into for possible reconciliation,” she said.
Her description of the discrepancies as slight drew objections from members of the committee, who argued that the scale of the differences warranted a more thorough investigation.
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, said the variations between the two agencies’ figures could not be dismissed as minor inconsistencies.
He maintained that the conflicting records required serious scrutiny, particularly as they featured in the NEITI audit covering the three-year period from 2021 to 2023.
Senator Dayo Faduyile, representing Ondo South, also questioned the reliability of the figures submitted by the two agencies, saying the discrepancies raised concerns about the accuracy of official petroleum import records.
He called attention to the need to establish what had gone wrong in the reporting process.
Similarly, Senator Anietan Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East, urged the committee to ensure a comprehensive investigation into the conflicting data.
Bassey warned that the inconsistencies must be thoroughly examined to protect Nigerians from potential losses arising from inaccurate official records and to identify any individuals responsible for wrongdoing, if established.
In his remarks, Dankwambo said the committee would bring the three agencies together to obtain explanations for the differences and determine the reasons behind their conflicting submissions.
He said the decision followed the committee’s dissatisfaction with the NMDPRA representative’s response to the audit queries, particularly those relating to the volume of petrol imported during the years under review.
The planned meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for NMDPRA, NNPCL and NEITI to clarify their respective figures and establish whether the discrepancies can be reconciled.
