“It is an old audit”, HURIWA reacts to NNPC’s N102b crude oil deliveries

*Commends Kyari’s administration for following due process

HUMAN Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Thursday, said the Senate on Wednesday dusted over the 2016 Auditor General report.

The report had knocked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for poor record-keeping for crude oil deliveries to Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company and Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company worth $376, 655,589 (N102.6bn).

HURIWA in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, knocked the Auditor General Office for failing to conduct a timely and expeditious audit of the government’s ministries, departments and agencies.

The group also commended the current leadership of the NNPC Limited and the administration of Mele Kyari for committing to due process since he assumed office in July 2019.

HURIWA also said the Senate should stop being archaic in its oversight function, saying a 2016 report is not only antiquated but showed the slow pace of work by those in the National Assembly, allowing allegedly corrupt officials to flee with state resources and auditing them about 10 years after corrupt deals.

Onwubiko said: “This 2016 report is an old audit because the current hierarchy led by Mele Kyari has clean records. At first, people reading the report would think the indictment is against the current hierarchy but on a close look, one will see that it is an old audit.

“We commend the current hierarchy for severally admitting to their disposition to follow due process and accountability. We also demand that audits must be done expeditiously and yearly because delaying the audits by the office of the auditor General, National Assembly or President is dangerous to the financial health of the country.”