The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has rejected a request by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for a 60-day extension to respond to queries on alleged revenue leakages. The committee has instead set 15 December as the final date for the company to appear before it.
The committee chairman, Bamidele Salam, issued the directive during a hearing on Monday in Abuja, following NNPCL’s failure to honour multiple invitations.
Salam read a letter from the NNPCL management explaining that its officials were unable to attend the session due to a scheduled meeting with the President. The company requested two months to prepare for the engagement.
However, the chairman noted that the committee had written to NNPCL more than seven times, adding that the company had repeatedly failed to appear, often citing similar reasons.
Describing NNPCL’s conduct as unacceptable, Salam said the committee viewed the repeated absences as a disregard for parliamentary oversight.
He disclosed that the Auditor-General for the Federation had raised significant concerns involving trillions of naira in alleged revenue leakages from NNPCL operations—funds that should have been remitted to the Federation Account.
“The only way we will accept that this is a ‘new NNPCL’ is to see clear improvements in your conduct and corporate governance,” Salam said.
“We do not think NNPCL should continue in this seeming contempt of the parliament. You are, therefore, directed to appear unfailingly on Monday, December 15.”
He further urged the company to ensure that all outstanding documents requested by the committee are submitted ahead of the session.
Hassan Bappa (PDP–Taraba) reiterated that the committee’s mandate is to ensure accountability across public institutions, stressing that NNPCL is not exempt from legislative oversight.
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