The Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF) has sued the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) for not remitting N40.126 billion, $921.636 million, and 289,931.82 pounds to the government treasury from various revenue sources in 2019.
This information was contained in 13 audit queries for the NPA signed by the Auditor-General, Adolphus Aghughu, and submitted to the National Assembly.
The report said an agreement signed between NPA and various terminal operators stated that: ”A fixed annual payment of a sum as specified in the schedule be paid in 12 equal installments in each operating year, the first installment to be paid on the first day of the month after the effective date and then, on the same date of every month thereafter.”
It revealed that the terminal operators failed to comply with the lease agreements in terms of their obligations relating to the payment of fixed and throughput fees over the period, thereby holding back $852,093,730.77 and N1,878,560,509.57 that should have been remitted to the NPA for the period.
The statement further states that estate tenants, shipping companies, and service boats operating from the ports were hugely indebted to NPA to the tune of $67.425 million and N32.266 billion outstanding as estate rent, shipping due, and service boats.
It said sizable percentages of these debts were nonperforming or dormant due to long periods of non-settlement, leading to loss of revenue to the government and possible diversion of government revenue to unauthorized users.
The query also frowned at the inability of the NPA to determine the status of about N5.260 billion and $1.250 million long outstanding debt, adding that all efforts to know their current status was not successful as relevant information was not provided.
