Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has ordered the immediate shutdown of the liaison office of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation at the National Assembly complex, adding it was required for official use.

“I am directed to notify you that the office space you are occupying at the Senate Wing, National Assembly Complex, Abuja (Otherwise described as NNPC Liaison Office) is required for official use by the National Assembly Management,” read a quite notice signed by director of management services at the Assembly, Bala Ibrahim, and addressed to the NNPC liaison officer.

Urging the liaison officer to handover the key and any property belonging to NASS, Mr Ibrahim noted the notice superseded any other letter previously issued by the National Assembly on the same matter.

“Failure to comply may compel us to put measures in place to recover the office without any further reference to you,” the notice added.

It was gathered that the National Assembly leadership decided to shut down the NNPC liaison office following reports that the liaison officer, Umar Farouk, was cornering funds earmarked for National Assembly for himself.

Sources said NNPC agreed to make off-the-book payoffs available to Mr Akpabio and other principal officers from time to time, adding the funds were usually channelled through Mr Farouk, who failed to deliver them in recent months, claiming falsely to his office that he was complying with the arrangement.

NNPC chief executive, Bayo Ojulari, did not immediately return a request seeking comments from Peoples Gazette about the scandal.

A spokesman for National Assembly said the matter could not be referred to the EFCC because it was not an entirely legal arrangement between the parties involved.

A spokesman for the EFCC did not immediately return a request seeking comments about whether or not the anti-graft office would probe the racket.