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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has clarified that the N210 trillion financial infractions flagged in the 2017 to 2023 audit reports concerning the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) were amounts unaccounted for, not stolen.
Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Aliyu Wadada Ahmed, made the clarification on Thursday during an investigative hearing with top NNPCL officials. He stressed that the focus of the committee was not to indict anyone, but to enforce accountability in line with its constitutional mandate.
“This committee never said NNPCL stole the money but is requesting it to account for it,” Wadada said. “NNPCL as clearly stated in the audit report of 2017 to 2023, must account for ₦210 trillion financial infraction.
“I don’t have anything against anybody in NNPCL just as other members of the committee, but we are carrying out our constitutional mandate of ensuring probity and accountability on spending of public funds.”
Despite repeated invitations, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, has yet to appear before the committee to respond to the audit queries. His absence at Thursday’s session sparked fresh outrage among senators, especially after NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr. Dapo Segun, attempted to represent him.
The committee had on June 26, after its last session with NNPCL management, directed that Ojulari must appear personally, alongside other relevant officials, on July 10, 2025, to respond to the audit queries.
But during yesterday’s session, the committee rejected the CFO’s attempt to make a presentation, insisting that only the GCEO could respond to the N210 trillion query and other issues raised in the audit reports.
Abdul Ningi was first to object, accusing the NNPCL of treating the committee with disdain. “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 was 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,” Ningi said.
Also speaking, Adams Oshiomhole berated Ojulari for his continued absence. “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 a forceful one.
The committee is not appealing but ordering him to appear before it, which in his own interest, must be obeyed,” he said.
Following the deliberations, Wadada reaffirmed the committee’s decision that Ojulari must appear on a new date to be communicated. He noted that the committee would not entertain any further attempts by proxies to speak on the GCEO’s behalf and stressed that full accountability was essential.
“We are not on a witch-hunt. We are simply doing our job to ensure Nigeria works by scrutinising how public funds are managed,” he said.
