A financial expert, public issues commentator and good governance advocate, Dr. Nnaemeka Obiareri has described as deceptive,
manipulative and sheer distortion of standard accounting standards the recently announced profit of N287billion by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, from its perennial operational losses.
He said that when the figures brandished by NNPC leadership is interrogated, it would be discovered that NNPC did not engage in any extensive or extra-ordinary productive or trading activities in 2020 to generate and report such huge profits in 2020 from a consistent six years loss (2015-2020).
“From my desktop review and analysis, I knew straight away, that it is either they reported bubble paper profit to enable them debit a ledger for a particular nefarious game or they engaged in unwholesome balance sheet engineering games.
“What Melee Kyari presented as profit from direct NNPC operations and activities is actually a retention of 20% of the profits and dividends paid by independent entities, which the NNPC received on behalf of the federation ( FGN, States and LGAs). This is the first time they are allowed to retain such.
“According to a reliable source, before now, the FGN and the states used to collect 100% of all the dividends paid by these independent entities .
“However, in 2020, the NNPC decided to retain the 20% from the dividends paid the the NLNG, the NGC, the West African Gas Pipeline ( Operated by Chevron) etc and consolidated same in their balance sheet.
“So, what they reported were retained portions of the dividends paid by other entities for the Federation. All the poppycock by Melee Kyari of improving efficiency at the NNPC and cut cutting cost measures over the last one year are just hogwash . NNPC as an entity under him, its operations and that of the three refineries are cesspool of losses and perfidy . Don’t be deceived by their tales by moonlight .
”It is a grave affronts to our sensibilities and intelligence for these guys to receive about $2.5billion/N1trillion (using CBN official rates) as combined dividends on behalf of the federation from independent entities established by acts of Parliament for the benefits of the federation, consolidate the retained 20% portion of dividends meant for the Federation accounts and then report it (N287bn) as profits made from the activities of a corporation that did nothing, other than , import PMS at a loss under subsidies and ignorant people clap away without asking questions
“The most painful thing here is that these people understand that IGNORANCE walks on all four in Nigeria. So, they assumed rightly, that a majority of us have no common sense , capacity , competence and ability to dig beyond the surface. They also realise that investigative journalism built on deep knowledge is absent in this clime. THEY ALSO realise that we do not have many people with the discipline, knowledge, good conscience and integrity in the NASS to probe, dig , uncover and recover as we have it in the US Congress. So, they corner our resources, throw pittance at us and then rub it on our faces ..
“For those, who have the discipline, knowledge, ability and time, kindly fish out the 2019 audited financial reports of the following independent entities set up by acts of Parliament for the benefits of the federation:
- The NLNG; 2. The West African Gas Pipeline Company ( Operated by Chevron); 3. The Nigeria Gas Company(NGC); 4. Duke Oil; 5. The NPDC; 6. C. 7 Wheel Insurance ; etc
- When you add up all of the dividends for the year ended 2019, which was declared, paid and transferred to the NNPC accounts in 2020 on behalf of the federation , you will get in excess of over $2.5bn/N1trillion (using the CBN official rate).
“These guys at the NNPC are not sincere one bit . It is the height of deceit and manipulation of numbers, for them to gleefully consolidate the profits and dividends of independent entities, with independently audited balance sheets , who have been making and reporting consistent profits over the last 10 years retain 20% of such dividends, use them to cover the huge losses and pillaging at the NNPC and report same as profit for the NNPC, for the first time over the last 43 years .
“Honestly, if the misappropriation and cornering of our national resources at our MDAs like the NNPC, Petroleum Ministry, FIRS, Customs, NIMASA, NPA, are checkmate and the leakages plugged , Nigeria will not need to borrow to fund our critical infrastructure needs .
“This is why we clamour for urgent and total constitutional, fiscal, administrative, socio-economic and autonomous RESTRUCTURING of this jungle to stop the ongoing bleeding, destruction and destitution of the masses.