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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has flagged inconsistencies in the reported volume of sugar imported into Nigeria and the revenue linked to the National Sugar Development Council during an ongoing review of government earnings.

The concern emerged during the House Committee on Finance revenue monitoring exercise covering the 2023–2025 fiscal years.

The session brought the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin, before lawmakers to clarify issues surrounding sugar importation and the sector’s financial contributions to government coffers.

Leading the inquiry, the Chairman House Committee on Finance, Rep. James Faleke, questioned the reliability of the import figures presented by the council. Lawmakers indicated that the data submitted might not accurately reflect the real quantity of sugar entering the country.

In response, the Executive Secretary of the council, Bakrin explained that it does not directly collect revenue from sugar imports. Instead, the responsibility for collecting the statutory sugar levy rests with the Nigeria Customs Service at the nation’s ports, after which the funds are transferred into designated government accounts.

He also clarified that the council’s involvement in the importation process is largely regulatory. Companies seeking to bring raw sugar into the country are required to obtain import licences, which are issued based on recommendations from the council after evaluating the compliance and performance of operators and processors within the industry.

“These recommendations are subsequently forwarded through the supervising ministry for final approval by the President.

“Within the review period, approvals were granted for the importation of about two million metric tonnes of raw sugar”, he said.

The ES further explained that its activities are funded mainly through a portion of the sugar levy collected by the Nigeria Customs Service. Releases for its operations are made periodically by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in line with appropriations approved by the National Assembly.

“To finance its programmes and sector development initiatives, the council typically submits quarterly requests to the Accountant General’s office for the release of funds allocated to it”, he added..

However, the committee chairman maintained that the council must establish a more reliable mechanism for verifying the actual volume of sugar imported into the country.

According to him, “relying solely on figures supplied by the Nigeria Customs Service may lead to discrepancies and could ultimately affect the accuracy of government revenue records”.

Faleke cautioned that the data currently available to the council appears to underestimate the true quantity of sugar entering the Nigerian market, raising concerns about potential revenue leakages.

He therefore urged the NSDC to strengthen its monitoring and reconciliation framework with relevant agencies, particularly the Nigeria Customs Service, to ensure accurate data management and greater transparency within the sector.

The chairman stressed that proper tracking of imports is critical for effective revenue generation and accountability.

Meanwhile, the committee also directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to provide detailed information on Nigeria’s oil assets and equity participation in oil wells across the country.

Faleke specifically instructed the organisation’s Financial Controller, Tajudeen Karim, to submit a comprehensive breakdown of all oil wells in which Nigeria has equity participation.

The committee requested a detailed list indicating the ownership structure of the wells, including those operating under Joint Venture (JV) arrangements, Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs), and wholly owned assets.

According to Faleke, the information should also include production volumes from each well and the corresponding share accruing to Nigeria under the applicable agreements.

“They do that under certain laws or agreements which they sign with you. In some cases we have percentage shareholding 60/40, 50/50 and there are wells that are 100 per cent owned. You have to identify them separately,” Faleke said.

He added that once the committee receives the full list of oil wells and their shareholding structures, the NNPCL would be required to present production data alongside Nigeria’s equity share in line with the contractual agreements governing each asset.

Faleke further directed that all the requested information must be properly reflected in supporting documents submitted to the committee to enable effective verification.

The committee stated that the ongoing exercise forms part of the National Assembly’s oversight responsibility to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper remittance of revenues by government agencies into the Federation Account.

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A video showing FCT minister Nyesom Wike addressing members of PDP NEC in Abuja has emerged.

Watch as the tireless minister chronicles PDP’s match again to reposition the largest political party in Africa.

Watch:

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The Chairman of PDP Caretaker Commttee, Hon Abdulrahman Mohammed has reminded National Executive Committee NEC members that the party remains the biggest and most organised political party in Africa.

Mohammed made this disclosure at the ongoing106th NEC meeting of the major opposition party in Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.

Read full remarks below:

Distinguished leaders of our great Party,
Members of the National Executive Committee,
Members of the National Caretaker Working Committee,
Members of the National Assembly,
Members of the Board of Trustees,

Leaders and stakeholders of our great party across the
federation.

It gives me great pleasure to warmly welcome you all to
this 106th meeting of the National Executive Committee
(NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Let me begin by appreciating every member of our great
party for your unwavering commitment, resiliences and
steadfast loyalty to the ideals and democratic values upon
which the PDP was founded! Through difficult moments
and intense political contests, the PDP has continued to
stand as the most enduring democratic institution in
Nigeria, guided by the principles of constitutional order,
internal democracy, and national unity.

Distinguished colleagues, recent developments within our
party and the judgments delivered by the courts have once
again reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law and the
necessity for all political actors to operate strictly within
the provisions of both the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and the Constitution of our great Party.

In this regard, I wish to heartily congratulate members of
the PDP across the country for the recent judicial victories
recorded at both the Federal High Court and the Court of
Appeal. These judgments have once again reaffirmed the
importance of due process and the obligation of political
parties and their members to comply with their constitutions and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

More importantly, these judicial pronouncements have
clearly and sufficiently made it abundantly clear that the
only authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party
remains the leadership structure as presently constituted,
with my good self serving as the duly recognized National Chairman of the party, working in collaboration with our
able Acting National Secretary, Distinguished Senator
Anyanwu, and other members of the National Working
Committee in accordance with the constitution of the
party.

These rulings have therefore helped to bring clarity to issues that some individuals had attempted to deliberately misrepresent before the Nigerian public.

Distinguished leaders, we are also aware that following these clear judicial pronouncements, some elements have resorted to a very cheap propaganda and smear campaign, attempting to mislead members of our party and the Nigerian public through false and distorted narratives.

Particularly, there have been claims being circulated in
certain quarters suggesting that the courts have upheld the
purported suspension of our Acting National Secretary,
Distinguished Senator Anyanwu.

Let me state this clearly, categorically, and without any
ambiguity before this highest decision-making body of
our party. Such a matter was never entertained by either the Federal High Court or the Court of Appeal.

Regrettably, however, some sections of the media have untortunately gone ahead to promote this falsehood without proper verification of the facts facts or careful examination of the judgments delivered by the courts.

We therefore wish to use this opportunity to inform our
esteemed members across the federation and indeed the
general public that the claim that the courts upheld the
suspension of our Acting National Secretary is completely
false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to create
confusion within our party.

The records of the courts are very clear, and anyone who
takes the time to read the judgments will easily confirm
that no such issue was determined by the Federal High
Court or the Court of Appeal.

Distinguished colleagues, the PDP remains a party
founded on strong institutions and respect for the rule of
law. We therefore urge all members to remain calm, focused, and united as we continue to strengthen our internal structures and consolidate the democratic values that have made the PDP the most formidable political platform in Nigeria.

Let me also commend the Nigerian judiciary tor continuing to play its constitutional role in safeguarding democratic order and ensuring that political processes are conducted within the framework of the law.

Distinguished members of NEC, the Nigerian people are
watching us closely. They expect our party to continue to
provide responsible leadership, credible opposition, and a
clear alternative vision for governance and national development.

As we deliberate in this meeting today, I urge all of us to
approach our discussions with maturity, unity of purpose,
and a strong sense of responsibility toward the future of
our great party and our country.

The PDP must continue to demonstrate that it is not only
the largest political party in Africa but also the most organized, disciplined, and democratic.

Let this NEC meeting therefore serve as another step toward strengthening party unity, consolidating our structures from the ward to the national level, and preparing Our party for the important political responsibilities that lie ahead.

With these remarks, it is my honour and privilege to formally declare the 106th meeting of the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party open.

Thank you and God bless the Peoples Democratic Party.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

HON. ABDULRAHMAN MOHAMMED
Chairman, National Caretaker Working Committee
Wednesday, March 11, 2026.