Missing funds: Jonathan approves forensic audit of NNPC
President Goodluck Jonathan
The Presidency said on Wednesday that it had authorised the engagement of reputable international firms to carry out the forensic audit of the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
It, however, did not give details of the firms.
The Presidency made this disclosure in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in reaction to the claim by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, that his decision to expose corruption in the management of oil revenue led to his travails.
It said Sanusi’s suspension had nothing to do with an attempt to cover up his allegation that funds due to the Federation Account were unaccounted for by the NNPC.
It described the various statements credited to the suspended CBN governor in the media lately as cheap blackmail and attempts to incite the public against the Federal Government.
The Presidency said it was unfortunate that instead of trying to provide reasonable response to the query on his official conduct as the governor of the central bank, Sanusi had chosen to whip up public sympathy for himself and anger against the government in recent press interviews.
The statement read, “We have noted with disappointment the unrelenting attempt by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, to falsely portray his recent suspension from office as an attempt by the Presidency to bury his allegation that huge sums of money due to the Federation Account are unaccounted for by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.