The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bayo Ojulari, has once again not appeared before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, increasing tensions between the legislature and the state oil firm.
Ojulari was scheduled to appear before the committee, but the company’s chief financial officer, Dapo Segun, appeared instead. Segun stated that Ojulari was attending an OPEC session as part of Nigeria’s delegation and would return over the weekend, conveying Ojulari’s regrets.
Senators voiced their displeasure, with Senator Abdul Ningi stating that Ojulari has taken the committee for granted. Senator Adams Oshiomhole said that anyone who is too big to obey the Nigerian constitution should relocate. Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan described Ojulari’s repeated absence as insulting. The committee chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, emphasized that the matter was not personal.
The committee has rescheduled the hearing for Tuesday, July 15, insisting that Ojulari must appear in person. The panel had previously threatened to issue an arrest warrant against Ojulari for failing to honor past invitations, and sources say that option is still possible if he is absent again.
Ojulari’s absence occurred despite facing a 10-day ultimatum to address discrepancies in the company’s audited financial statements. The panel is probing contradictions in NNPC’s audited accounts, specifically N103 trillion in accrued expenses and N107 trillion in receivables. The committee has declined to engage with the representatives sent by the NNPCL.
