NNPCL GCEO shuns Senate again over ₦210trn audit queries

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has once again failed to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts to address concerns over ₦210 trillion reportedly unaccounted for in the company’s audit reports from 2017 to 2023.

Despite being given a 10-day ultimatum to appear before the committee on Thursday, Ojulari sent representatives in his place. However, the committee, led by Senator Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West), declined to engage with the delegation and insisted that only the GCEO could respond to the 11 critical financial queries raised in the audit documents.

Senator Wadada, expressing displeasure, said Ojulari’s repeated absence amounts to a disregard for the authority of the National Assembly and undermines its constitutional oversight functions.

“We will not accept this level of disrespect from any public institution,” Wadada stated, adding that the committee would issue a new summons for the NNPCL boss to appear in person.

The Senate committee is currently investigating major discrepancies in NNPCL’s financial records, which lawmakers argue raise serious concerns over accountability, transparency, and the management of public funds.