Rebellion Or Neglect? Senate Fumes As NNPCL Boss Bayo Ojulari Dodges Summons!

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has directed NNPCL’s GCEO, Bayo Ojulari, to appear before it on July 10, cautioning that failure to do so could lead to the issuance of an arrest warrant.

This action comes after NNPCL officials failed to attend a scheduled hearing at the National Assembly in Abuja, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday.

Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Wadada, issued the ultimatum during a brief session, expressing frustration over the absence of NNPCL representatives despite prior notice.

The committee had expected the officials to provide answers to concerns raised over an alleged ₦210 trillion in unaccounted funds covering the period from 2017 to 2023, as highlighted in an audit report.

Instead of attending the session, the company submitted a letter—delivered by Adedapo Segun on behalf of the GCEO—seeking a two-month extension to prepare detailed responses. The letter was read aloud by Committee Clerk Sani Abdullahi during the meeting.

Senator Wadada flatly rejected the request, describing the absence of NNPCL officials as a disrespectful disregard for the authority of the Senate.

“We expected NNPCL representatives to appear before us today to respond to questions raised last week in connection with the audit findings,” he said. “Their failure to show up is unacceptable.”

He further directed that the NNPCL GCEO must appear in person by July 10, adding: “This committee was not expecting a letter or additional documents. We were expecting clear answers to the eleven questions raised previously. The GCEO must provide them.”

Wadada cautioned that if the directive is ignored, the Senate would invoke its constitutional powers to compel Ojulari’s appearance.

He also warned that the committee may begin adopting audit queries against other defaulting institutions, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court and the Federal Ministries of Solid Minerals, Steel Development, and Finance, if they fail to respond to summons by next Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the Senate had given NNPCL a seven-day deadline to explain discrepancies amounting to over ₦210 trillion in its audited financial reports between 2017 and 2023.

The demand arose from a tense committee session, during which Chief Financial Officer Dapo Segun and other senior officials were grilled by lawmakers over what they described as “shocking financial irregularities”—particularly questionable figures listed under accrued expenses and receivables.