Abuja: The Senate on Thursday reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had yet to account for the alleged financial infraction of N210 raised against it in the 2017-2023 audit report.
Sen. Aliyu Wadada, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, clarified at the resumed hearing of the committee on the 2017-2023 audit of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation’s expenditure by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
Wadada maintained that NNPCL did not account for the said fund as reported, contrary to media reports that the company had stolen the money.
The committee, during its investigative session with the management of NNPCL on June 26, directed the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, to appear before it on July 10.
The Senate stated that Ojulari’s appearance was to enable him to account for the funds and answer other queries raised against NNPCL in the audit report.
Based on the directive, the committee, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, did not allow NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr Dapo Segun, to make any presentation on Ojulari’s behalf.
The NNPCL GCEO was reported to have travelled for the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna, Austria.
The committee, through its chairman, therefore directed Ojulari to appear before it on a date to be communicated to explain the alleged financial infractions and other queries raised against NNPCL.
Wadada, before making the declaration, clarified that the committee did not have anything against anyone in NNPCL, but was only discharging its constitutional duty of ensuring Nigeria works by investigating how MDAs expend public funds.
“I don’t have anything against anybody in NNPCL, just as other members of the committee, but we are just carrying out our constitutional mandate of ensuring probity and accountability in the spending of public funds.
“NNPCL, as clearly stated in the audit report from 2017 to 2023, must account for the N210 trillion financial infraction.
“This committee never said NNPCL stole the money, but it is requesting that it account for the fund.
“The GCEO of NNPCL must appear before this committee to give an account and offer an explanation on other queries raised,” he said.
Sen. Abdul Ningi had earlier accused NNPCL of taking the committee for granted due to the recurring absence of its GCEO from essential sessions.
“It is alarming and unacceptable for the GCEO of NNPCL to dishonour this committee’s invitation for his appearance again.
“He has never appeared before this committee since his appointment, which is disturbing.
“An invitation for his appearance before the committee was sent to him before the OPEC meeting.
“As far as we are concerned, he is supposed to use his discretion on where to be here today, which should be before the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“He must appear before this committee as directed,” Ningi said.
Additionally, Sen. Adams Oshiomhole frowned upon the NNPCL GCEO’s persistent failure to appear before the committee.
“Nobody is bigger than the country, and anybody who feels so has no business in government.
“NNPCL GCEO should make good use of the window of invitation for appearance being offered him now before the door is shut against him.
“The committee is not appealing but ordering him to appear before it, which, in his interest, must be obeyed,” Oshiomhole said.
