The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has denied the claims by the Nigerian Senate that it’s failed to remits a total of N177billion naira being an operating surplus the organization generated in 2017.
The Senate on Wednesday in plenary, said NPA withheld the total sum which is a surplus that ought to have been remiitted to the consolidated federation account, but never did.
The management of NPA in a statement released on Thursday, said the reports that has been circulating in the news media, which obviously emanated from the Senate, has no foundation or what so ever.
The allegation that NPA failed to remit N177billion naira was raised in the Senate on Wednesday by Senator Mohammed Hassan, a member of the senate committee on marine transport.
Senators Hassan called the attention of the Senate to the allegation through a motion moved in accordance with Senate standing orders 42 and 52.
Senators Hassan while speaking on the issue, said that the committee discovered that the NPA in its budget defence of the performance of the 2017 budget in April, got N303 billion as total operational revenue out of which N125billion was taken by it as operational cost as allowed by extant laws.
He alleged that the NPA, however, refused to remit the balance of N177 billion realised as surplus to the federation account.
After much deliberation on the matter, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki asked the committee to look into the allegation and report back within three days.
The statement of NPA denying the claims reads:
‘The attention of the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has been drawn to newspaper reports alleging that the Authority has failed to remit the sum of N177b Operating Surplus from its 2017 revenue to the Consolidated Federation Account.
The allegation, according to the reports, emanated from discussions that followed a motion at the Plenary of the Senate on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.
With due respect to our distinguished Senator, the Authority wishes to state that this allegation is without foundation.
The fact of the situation are as follows: • Total Revenue generated by the Authority in the Year 2017 stood at N303.9bn • Total expenditure (inclusive of recurrent and capital) amounted to N205.8bn
Of the N303.9bn generated revenue, the sum of N60.12bn represents uncollectable revenue from concessionaires attributed to clauses in the concession agreements, which the authority is currently reviewing.
Consequently, the operating surplus for the authority in 2017 was the sum of N38bn
Therefore, the sum of N30.4bn, which represents 80% of the operating surplus that the Authority is required to remit to the CRF in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, has been duly paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund by the Authority with receipt of payment already issued by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
These computations arise from the Authority’s management account pending the conclusion of the audit of the 2017 financial statement, which is ongoing.
It is pertinent to also note that the Authority has already remitted the sum of N11.3bn for 2018 CRF contribution into the Consolidated Revenue Fund with the use of Authority’s management account ahead of auditing for 2018.
The Authority wishes to state its readiness to present all documents needed to provide clarification to the Senate Committee on Marine Transport and the Senate.
On a final note, while we appreciate the constitutional oversight role of distinguished senators on the operations of the NPA, we suggest greater restraint on issues that deal with the integrity of national institutions even as we assure of our respect for the integrity of national institutions even as we assure of our respect for the Senate.”