The Presidency, on Monday, said President Muhammadu Buhari would consider the All Progressives Congress, APC’s call for the probe of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration over $5.5bn dividends said to have been paid to the Federal Government by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited.
Spokesman of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday, urged the Buhari-led Federal Government to also probe the taxes and dividends accrued to the Jonathan administration through the NLNG in the last six years.
Reacting, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, told The Punch such calls would be considered.
He assured Nigerians that if there was merit in the call, the President would look into it.
Adesina said, “The All Progressives Congress’ position on the NLNG fund is just a call.
“When calls are made, they will be considered. If there is merit in that call, you can be sure that the President will look into it.
“It was a call that came from the party and it just came yesterday.
“Time must be given for the President to consider the call.”
The APC had claimed that apart from the $1.6bn NLNG payment for 2015, NLNG also paid $1.4bn as Income Tax/Education Tax in May 2014; paid $0.3bn as Education Tax to the FG in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and $1.2bn in VAT and Withholding Tax to the FG since 2009.
The party said since those payments were just those made in the past six years alone, there would have been other payments before then.
“In addition, dividend payments totaling $4,728,136,946 were paid to the Federal Government between 2004 and 2009, out of which only $127,851,348.19 was credited to the Federal Government’s Independent Account with JP Morgan, leaving a balance of over $4bn.
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