I Did Not Disown PWC Audit Report of The NNPC, I Just Said I Did Not Hire Firm, Okonjo-Iweala

Source: thewillnigeria.com

BEVERLY HILLS, May 01, (THEWILL) – Nigeria's Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has denied some media reports which quoted her as disowning PricewaterhouseCoopers and its forensic audit of the accounts of the NNPC over the alleged missing $20 billion from the sale of crude.

In a statement Friday from her spokesperson, the Minister said she has not disowned the firm or its work.

“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,” the statement by the Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, said.