NPA denies withholding $21.3million, €6,626,429.59 From TSA

By ZION Olalekan


The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been in the eye of the storm recently over allegations of infractions in its revenue remittance  into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the Federal Government.

Specifically, the agency was reportedly faulted by the House of Representatives for allegedly withholding $21.3 million and €6,626,429.59 from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) 

Altogether, over $995.71 million were allegedly lodged outside the TSA by some government agencies including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Federal Ministry of Environment among others.

But the agency has however explained that it has not been indicted by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation .

In a statement signed by General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Engr Adams Jato, the NPA explained that there is no truth in the insinuation that it was queried for infractions  in the award of contracts. 

“The attention of the Nigerian Ports Authority has been drawn to media reports about some audit reports purportedly indicting the management of the Authority over monies running into billions of Naira”

“The Authority hereby states without equivocation that these malicious reports are false and without foundation”, the NPA image maker stated.

It added audit queries are part of standard operating procedure in any organization including government agencies 

“While audit queries are part of the standard operating procedures to entrench accountability in government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the NPA has, at this moment, not received queries of the nature being circulated in the media.

“The management of the authority has answered audit queries to the satisfaction of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation in past years and is committed to providing evidence that all our operations have followed due process in the event of any queries in the future. 

The Authority assures all Nigerians of its commitment to obeying the extant laws guiding the operations of government MDAs,” Engr Jato said