AGF Probes NPA Over $753m Unremitted Funds

By Tolulope Oke

The Auditor General of the Federation (AGF) has probed The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) over the inability of 18 port terminal operators to pay the Federal Government (FG) a total of $753 million and N1.61 billion.

The query issued by the AGF’s office showed that the amounts were part of the obligations owed to the operators as of December 31, 2019.

The operators owed the government $852.094m and N1,878,560,509.57 in debt, according to the “Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses Issues in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Year Ended 31st December, 2019.”

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It added that, “Agreements signed between NPA and various Terminal Operators state that a fixed annual payment of a sum as specified in the schedule below to be paid in (12) equal instalments in each operating year, the first instalment to be paid on the first day of the month after the effective date and then, on the same date of every month thereafter.”

The NPA stated in its response sent to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts, that out of the amount, $753m and N1.609bn had not been paid by the operators.

These operators are the Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port, Delta Port, Rivers Port Complex, Onne Port Complex and Calabar Port Complex.