For the fourth consecutive time, Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has failed to honour an invitation from the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, intensifying legislative tensions over unresolved financial discrepancies.
Ojulari’s consistent absence has stirred discontent among committee members, led by Senator Aliyu Wadada, who expressed their growing impatience during Tuesday’s session. The lawmakers have now issued a final ultimatum, warning the NNPC boss to appear before the committee by 3 p.m. on Wednesday or face potential sanctions.
The GCEO’s repeated no-shows relate to an audit inquiry involving a staggering ₦210 trillion in unexplained expenditures flagged in the Auditor-General’s reports covering 2017 to 2023. Despite three prior invitations, Ojulari’s non-appearance at Tuesday’s hearing once again stalled proceedings.
Responding to inquiries by the committee chair, the Clerk, Mohammed Abdullahi, announced that Ojulari had communicated his inability to attend. In a letter dated July 22, read aloud at the hearing, Ojulari cited an emergency summons from President Bola Tinubu at around 1 p.m. as the reason for his absence.
However, senators were unimpressed with the explanation. Senator Victor Umeh acknowledged the weight of a presidential directive but criticized what he called a growing trend of using the President’s office as a shield from legislative scrutiny.
Another member, Senator Joel Thomas Onowakpo, accused the NNPC head of undermining the committee’s authority. “The GCEO clearly believes he is above this body. It’s evident he won’t honour our calls unless we assert our powers more aggressively,” he declared.
Senator Aminu Abbas echoed similar concerns, stating that Ojulari must appear before the committee on Wednesday without fail, emphasizing that no individual, regardless of rank, is beyond the jurisdiction of the National Assembly.
As tensions rise between the legislature and Nigeria’s state oil corporation, the committee appears poised to escalate the matter if their summons continues to be ignored.
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