Why there is leakage in NNPC-Saraki

By Opeyemi Oshoko |

Leakages in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC are due to lack of operational budget, Senate President Bukoa Saraki has said.

He told a civil society group under the aegis of Civil Society Situation Room, led by Sir Clement Nwankwo who visited in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to Saraki, lack of operational budget is a situation that leads to serious leakages, especially in income generating agencies.

He said that the 1999 Constitution Amendment Bill, the 2011 Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which were either passed by the National Assembly or refused assent by former President, Goodluck Jonathan, would be given priority attention as soon as the Senate resumes from its current break.

He explained that some of the bills were critical to the current reform project of the Federal Government and would soon be given accelerated attention.

 “There are a number of bills, one of which is the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which is key to deepening the electoral process.” Senator Saraki said, “The budget process which you talked about, I want to tell you that some of us have strong views that issues of budget must be transparent, particularly; days are gone where agencies like the NNPC would be able to function without operational budget. We must move away from that because one of the key issues that we have now is the issue of revenue leakages because of lack of transparency. I think we must move away from that, especially agencies that have revenue coming in.”

Earlier leader of the group, Clem Nwankwo, while commending the successes recorded in the elections of the leadership of the Senate and that of the House of Representatives, said his group was in the legislature to seek partnership in the governance process of the country.

He solicited the support and partnership of the National Assembly while highlighting areas of interest such as bills on people living with disability, electoral acts (as amended), PIB and the constitution amendment, which he prayed the Senate to ensure its effective implementation.