The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday denied spending nine million dollars on staff transfer in National Petroleum Investment and Management Services (NAPIMS), its subsidiary.
The corporation made the denial in a statement in Abuja by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division.
Ughamadu also said that the corporation did not commit two million dollars on vehicles maintenance.
He said, “the nine million dollars was reported to have been spent on staff transfers alone during a submission on NAPIMS’ 2016 budget performance to Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream).
“The amount actually consists of appropriated items on pension fund, retirement benefits and staff transfers/redeployment.
“Similarly, the two million dollars purportedly spent on vehicles maintenance comprised budgeted items, which included light vehicles maintenance (3rd parties and in-house); light motor vehicle for operation – fuelling and heavy motor vehicle maintenance (3rd parties and in-house).’’
Ughamadu also clarified that it was erroneous to say that Mrs Catherine Iheme, NAPIMS’s General Manager, Joint Venture Oil Operations, made the presentation to the Senate, when she was absent at the hearing.
“For the avoidance of doubt, NAPIMS, as a corporate services unit of NNPC, maintains the corporation’s core values of integrity, transparency and accountability.
“Its activities are directed at adding value to the hydrocarbon resources of the country for the benefit of all Nigerians and other stakeholders in the Industry,’’ Ughamadu said. (NAN)