The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) management is yet to heed to the invitation of the Senate Public Accounts Committee as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, is yet to appear before it to explain the alleged N210 trillion financial infraction and other queries raised against the company.
This was the case after Ojulari failed to appear before the committee, citing his attendance at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna, Austria.
The Senate’s anger was made known when the committee met on Thursday.
The committee, led by Sen. Aliyu Wadada Ahmed (Nasarawa-West), clarified that the alleged N210 trillion financial infraction refers to unaccounted-for funds, not necessarily stolen funds.
Sen. Abdul Ningi (Bauchi-Central) and Sen. Adams Oshiomhole (Edo-North) in their contributions expressed disappointment with Ojulari’s absence.
Ningi described the absence as “disturbing and unacceptable”, while Oshiomhole insisted that “nobody is bigger than the country”, stressing that Ojulari should prioritise his appearance before the committee.
Speaking earlier, Sen. Wadada emphasized that “the committee is not out to target anyone, but is committed to ensuring probity and accountability in the spending of public funds”.
The committee however, resolved that Ojulari must appear before it unfailingly on a date to be communicated to him.
The committee scrutinizing NNPCL’s accounts for the alleged N210 trillion financial infractions, such that the top executives could provide explanations on the queries raised in the audit reports of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
