NNPCL boss shuns Senate panel again

|By Adejumo Adekunle-

-Lawmakers reject representatives, demand personal appearance
-Senators accuse Ojulari of undermining legislative authority

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has again failed to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, despite receiving a 10-day ultimatum to address financial discrepancies amounting to N210 trillion.

Instead of appearing in person, Ojulari sent a team of representatives to Thursday’s hearing, a move the committee flatly rejected.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Aliyu Wadada, ruled out any engagement with the delegation, maintaining that only the GCEO himself could respond to the 11 critical audit queries spanning NNPCL’s financial records from 2017 to 2023.

Wadada described Ojulari’s continued absence as a clear affront to the authority of the National Assembly and a breach of its constitutional oversight functions.

“This committee will not tolerate any attempt to undermine the Senate,” he said. “We have asked for accountability, and we expect nothing less than the personal appearance of the GCEO. Any further disregard will be met with firm legislative action.”

The Senate had earlier summoned NNPCL’s leadership, citing grave concerns about unaccounted funds reportedly buried in the audited accounts of the company. The figure in question—N210 trillion—has raised alarm across the legislature.

NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, previously told the committee that the GCEO and other top executives could not attend the last hearing due to a management retreat.

Despite that explanation, senators remain adamant that such excuses cannot override their constitutional mandate to scrutinize public funds and demand accountability.

Senator Wadada confirmed that a new date would be fixed for Ojulari’s appearance, warning that any further evasion would prompt serious consequences.

“No one is above the law,” Wadada insisted. “The Nigerian people deserve full transparency.”