The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered over N115bn and $84m in outstanding statutory levies owed the Niger Delta Development Commission by oil companies, the agency told the Senate on Wednesday.
The disclosure was made before the Senate Public Accounts Committee, led by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, during its investigation into issues contained in the 2021–2023 Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report.
Representing the EFCC, Francis Usani said the commission investigated 43 oil companies following queries raised in the NEITI report. Of those investigated, 24 companies operating in the Niger Delta were found to have outstanding obligations relating to the three per cent statutory levy payable to the NDDC, while 19 were cleared.
Usani told the committee that the 24 companies were initially found to owe N76.88bn and $81.08m.
“At the commencement of the investigation, EFCC invited 43 oil companies, out of which 24 operating within the Niger Delta were found to have outstanding liabilities in the sums of N76,883,705,907.17 and $81,076,655.00, while the remaining 19 other oil companies were given a clean bill of health,” Usani said.
He explained that the EFCC investigation led some of the affected companies to pay their outstanding obligations directly to the NDDC. According to him, N6.71bn and $16.99m had been paid directly to the commission.
The EFCC representative further disclosed that N73.37bn and $67.07m had been released to the NDDC from the funds recovered by the anti-graft agency, while N3.51bn and $14.01m remained in the EFCC’s recovery account.
“Out of the sums so far recovered by the commission on behalf of NDDC, total sums of N73.37bn and $67.07m have been released to NDDC, leaving the balance of N3.51bn and $14.01m in EFCC’s recovery account,” he said.
Usani said the EFCC investigation concentrated primarily on the unpaid three per cent NDDC levy highlighted in the NEITI audit, while noting that other statutory obligations and taxes owed the Federal Government could also be outstanding.
“The EFCC focused on one primary pillar identified in the NEITI report, i.e., unpaid three per cent statutory levies due to NDDC, but we did not lose sight of the fact that there could be other unpaid statutory obligations and taxes due to the Federal Government,” Usani said.
The recovery comes as the Senate examines revenue shortfalls and outstanding financial obligations identified in NEITI’s audits of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The three per cent levy is part of the statutory funding arrangement for the NDDC and is intended to finance development programmes across the Niger Delta.
Senate summons oil chiefs
While the EFCC presented its recovery figures, the Senate committee also moved to compel the heads of major oil companies to personally respond to queries contained in the NEITI audit reports.
The panel rejected a request by TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited to send a representative in place of its management, insisting that the company’s managing director appear personally.
The committee subsequently directed the TotalEnergies managing director to appear before it next week.
It also gave a final opportunity to the managing directors of South Atlantic Petroleum Limited, Oando Oil Limited, Famfa Oil Limited and Green Energy International Limited to appear personally before the committee.
The summonses followed concerns over responses submitted by some oil companies to financial queries raised in the NEITI reports.
The Senate panel said it was determined to establish whether the obligations identified in the audits had been settled and, where they remained outstanding, the reasons for the non-payment.
The investigation covers the 2021, 2022 and 2023 NEITI Oil and Gas Industry Audit Reports, with the committee continuing to invite companies and relevant government agencies to clarify unresolved issues.
Dankwambo said the committee would continue its probe until it obtained satisfactory explanations on the matters raised in the audit reports.
The investigation is expected to continue on Thursday, with further oil companies and government agencies potentially appearing before the committee as lawmakers seek to determine the full extent of outstanding statutory obligations.
