… committee members give 24hours ultimatum for appearance
By John Alechenu, Abuja
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has threatened to invoke relevant sections of its enabling laws to compel the appearance of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has failed to appear before it four consecutive times.
The NNPCL’s Chief Executive Officer was summoned by the Senate committee in connection with several audit queries over its audited financial statements from 2017 to 2023.
The Senate is demanding explanations from NNPCL over the financial discrepancies totalling over ₦210 trillion.
The Senator Aliyu Wadada-led Committee had raised concern over the audited reports, citing accrued expenses of ₦ 103 trillion, which included ₦600bn in retention fees, unspecified legal fees, and auditor charges—all without any accompanying documentation or referenced contracts.
Ojulari was again absent during Tuesday’s session.
A letter signed by NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Adedayo Segun and addressed to Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Wadada, which was read by the committee clerk, explained that Ojulari was absent because he received a call from the Presidential Villa for an urgent appointment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Dissatisfied with the excuse, the lawmakers in their submissions alleged that the reason given was a flimsy excuse, as they cited previous experiences with the NNPCL GCEO in which he failed to appear before the Committee.
Senator Victor Umeh dismissed the letter signed by the corporation’s Chief Financial Officer as suspicious.
Umeh said, “That letter is suspicious, it is a way of avoiding this Committee. I will suggest that the Committee in a way to move forward, make a formal complaint to Mr. President. Using the Presidency as an excuse not to appear should not be taken.
“We should write the President and ask Ojulari to choose a date.
“Let him not tell us next time that the Vice President has invited him. We aren’t asking him for personal queries, but to come and respond to audit queries.”
Senator Joel Joel-Onowakpo Thomas spoke in a similar vein, saying, “I am beginning to think that he believes that he isn’t answerable to this Committee.
“This is the fourth time. I believe that he has made up his mind not to come. I am beginning to think that there will never be a time for him to come.”
Senator Aminu Abbas declared that the GCEO of NNPCL has scant regard for the National Assembly.
“The NNPCL GCEO isn’t bigger than Nigeria; he can’t be bigger than us. Let him present himself tomorrow; otherwise, we close the chapter.”
In his concluding remarks, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Affairs, Aliyu Wadada, expressed the Committee’s displeasure over what he called brazen disrespect for the Parliament.
He said: “The GCEO, NNPCL GMD is way below the NASS. We are sitting on mandate; he sits on appointment. He can be fired tomorrow. Nobody wants to witch-hunt him.”
Addressing Mr. Adedapo, Senator Wadada asked: “How can he talk to us through you? We aren’t his aides. The communication should come to us respectfully. GCEO is not bigger than the National Assembly. The President himself isn’t bigger than us, that’s why he comes here.
“We want issues sorted us. The GCEO, NNPCL, is hereby ordered to come here tomorrow (Wednesday) by 3pm.”
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