Contrary to reports by Premium Times andsome other media, the Coordinating Minister
for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has not disowned
PriceWaterHouse Coopers, the international
audit firm which carried out the recent audit of
the alleged unaccounted for $20 billion.
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This is because the forensic audit was actually
proposed by Dr Okonjo-Iweala as the best way
to get to the truth following the disagreement
(and widely conflicting figures) between former
CBN Governor (and current Emir of Kano)
Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and the NNPC
over Sanusi’s allegation of unaccounted for
funds.
Her proposal was accepted by President
Goodluck
Jonathan as well as the Senate, and the
President
subsequently directed the Auditor General of
the
Federation to lead the work. The Auditor-
General later appointed PwC to carry out the
audit.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala therefore respects the
process which produced the audit.
But requesting the audit is of course not the
same thing as hiring the auditor. This was why
we made it clear in our last press release that
the suit filed against Dr
Okonjo-Iweala before a Lagos High Court by
SIAO
Partners alleging that she appointed PwC to
carry out the audit is frivolous and uninformed.
We urge the relevant media to update their
information based on this clarification. Many
thanks.
Paul C Nwabuikwu
Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister of
the
Economy and Minister of Finance