In what appeared as being afraid of his shadow, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, on Thursday, July 10, 2025, again failed to appear before the Senate to answer queries over ₦210 trillion reportedly unaccounted for in the company’s audit reports from 2017 to 2023.
Ojulari was expected to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts to address the concerns raised in the audit report of the NNPC Ltd, but in spite of being given additional 10-day ultimatum, he refused to appear in person and instead, sent representatives, who were not authorised to provide the required clarifications.
The development irked members of the Committee led by Senator Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West), thus, declined to engage with the delegation and insisted that only the GCEO is properly positioned to respond to the 11 critical financial queries raised in the audit documents.
While expressing the displeasure of the Senate, Wadada stressed that Ojulari’s consistent and repeated absence amounted to a disregard for the authority of the National Assembly and clearly undermined its constitutional oversight functions.
In the words of Wadada; ““We are not begging. The invitation extended to the NNPCL CEO was mandatory, not optional. If anyone believes they are above the law, they may consider relocating”.
Wadada therefore vowed that the Senate will not accept Ojulari’s level of disrespect, saying that the Committee would issue a new summons for the NNPCL GCEO to appear in person.
The Senate Public Account Committee’s Chairman noted that NNPCL reported N103 trillion in accrued expenses, while only N3 to N5 trillion appeared in its profit and loss account, saying that even though no allegations of theft had been made, clarity and documentation are essential.
Wadada said; “The figures lack coherence. The documents submitted don’t reconcile liabilities with assets, and until they do, the N210 trillion remains under scrutiny.
In his own remarks, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, SAN, representing Borno Central, noted that NNPCL’s behaviour was “a direct slap in the face of Nigerians”.
According to Lawan; “This is not just about numbers. It is about respect for democratic institutions and accountability to the Nigerian people”.
The committee therefore ordered that NNPCL’s next appearance must be led by the Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari in person on a date to be communicated soon, warning that failure to appear may lead to the Senate invoking its coercive powers, including possible arrest warrants.
The Senate through its Committee on Public Account is probing major discrepancies in NNPCL’s financial records for which the lawmakers raised serious concerns over accountability, transparency, and the management of public funds.
