The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered more than N115 billion in outstanding statutory levies owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by oil companies between 2021 and 2023.
The recovery was disclosed on Wednesday by an EFCC representative, Francis Oka-Phillips Usani, before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts.
The committee is investigating findings contained in the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) 2021–2023 Oil and Gas Sector Audit Report.
Usani told the committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, that the liabilities comprised N76.884 billion and $81.077 million owed as three per cent statutory levies to the NDDC.
He said the EFCC investigated 43 oil companies, with 24 of them operating in the Niger Delta area found to have outstanding liabilities, while 19 others were cleared of any liability.
“At the commencement of investigation, EFCC invited 43 oil companies out of which 24 operating within the Niger Delta, were found to have outstanding liabilities in the sums of N76,883,705,907.17 and $81,076,655.00 while the remaining 19 other oil companies were given clean bill of health,” Usani said.
He added that following the investigation and pressure mounted by the commission, some of the affected companies paid their outstanding liabilities directly to the NDDC, amounting to N6.709 billion and $16.994 million.
According to him, the EFCC had so far released N73.373 billion and $67.070 million recovered on behalf of the NDDC to the commission, while N3.510 billion and $14.005 million remained in the EFCC’s recovery account.
Usani explained that the investigation focused primarily on unpaid three per cent statutory levies due to the NDDC, as identified in the NEITI audit report. He, however, noted that the commission did not rule out the existence of other unpaid statutory obligations and taxes owed the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, the committee rejected an attempt by TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited to respond to queries raised against the company in the audit report, citing the absence of its managing director.
The committee consequently directed the Managing Director of TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited to appear personally before it at a date to be fixed next week. It also gave the managing directors of South Atlantic Petroleum Limited, Oando Oil Limited, Famfa Oil and Green Energy International Limited a final opportunity to appear physically before the committee.
At the end of the session, Senator Dankwambo said the investigation would continue on Thursday.
(The Whistler)
