The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kyari, yesterday said that the withdrawal of over $21billion from the dividends account of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) was not illegal.

Kyari, who was represented by the Chief Financial Officer of the corporation, Mr. Umar Ajiya, at an investigative hearing of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives chaired by Wole Oke (PDP-Osun), said the withdrawal was authorised by the Federal Government, as represented by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the NNPC.

The GMD explained that the proceeds from the dividends account were the Federal Government’s share of revenues from oil shared among the federal and state tiers of the federation.

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