News Editor
By David Odama
Senate through its Committee on Public Accounts, on Thursday, clarified that the N210trillion financial infraction raised against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, in the audit reports of 2017 to 2023 was not stolen, but uncounted for by the oil company.
This was even as the committee, chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed (SDP Nasarawa West), insisted that the Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO of NNPCL, Engr. Bayo Ojulari must appear before it for explanations on the financial infractions and other queries raised against the company in the audit reports.
These were the resolutions of the chairman and members of the committee during an investigative hearing with the top management staff of NNPCL on Thursday as scheduled since June 26, 2025.
The committee had at the end of the session it had with management of NNPCL last month, directed that the GCEO of the company must appear before it along with relevant officers on July 10, 2025 to account for the N210trillion financial infraction and defend other queries raised against the company in the audit reports.
Senator Wadada specifically clarified that the committee does not have anything against anybody in NNPCL, but doing its constitutionally mandated duty of making Nigeria work through thorough scrutinization of how public funds are spent..
“I don’t have anything against anybody in NNPCL just as other members of the committee, but carrying out our constitutional mandate of ensuring probity and accountability on spending of public funds.
“NNPCL as clearly stated in the audit reports of 2017 to 2023, must account for N210trillion financial infraction .
“This committee never said NNPCL stole the money, but is requesting it to account for it .
“The GCEO of NNPCL must appear before this committee to give the account and offer explanations on other queries raised,” he said.
In line with its earlier directive, the committee at the investigative session with NNPCL on Thursday, refused to allow the Chief Financial Officer, CFO, Mr Dapo Segun to make any submission or presentation to it on behalf of the GCEO, who had travelled for the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC meeting currently holding in Vienna, Austria.
First to kick against allowing the NNPCL CFO to make presentation was Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi Central), who accused the company of taking the committee for granted with persistence absence of its GCEO from critical sessions requiring his presence.
“It is very disturbing and unacceptable for the GCEO of NNPCL to dishonour this committee’s invitation for his appearance again.
“He has never appeared before this committee since his appointment which is really disturbing.
“Invitation for his appearance before the committee was sent to him before the OPEC meeting which as far as we are concerned, he supposed to use his discretion on where to be today which should be before this committee and by extension, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He must appear before this committee as directed,” he said.
Also, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC Edo North) slammed the NNPCL boss for his persistent failure of appearing before the committee.
He said: “Nobody is bigger than the country and anybody who feels so, has no business in government. NNPCL GCEO should make good use of the window of invitation for appearance being offered him now before the door is shut against him with forceful one.
“The committee is not appealing, but ordering him to appear before it which in his own interest, must be obeyed.”
The committee, accordingly as declared by the chairman, resolved that the NNPCL GCEO must appear before it unfailingly on a date that will be communicated to him.
