The Senate has summoned the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, to appear before its Public Accounts Committee over unresolved financial infractions totalling ₦210 trillion. The upper chamber expressed strong dissatisfaction over Ojulari’s persistent absence from the committee’s investigative hearings, warning that no official, regardless of rank, is above accountability.

At Thursday’s hearing, the committee rejected a submission presented by NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, after Ojulari failed to appear, citing his participation in an OPEC meeting in Vienna, Austria. Chairman of the committee, Senator Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West), clarified that the ₦210tn cited in audit reports from 2017 to 2023 was “unaccounted for” rather than “stolen,” as misreported in some quarters. “We are not accusing anyone of theft; we are asking for explanations over unaccounted funds,” Wadada stressed.

Senators took turns condemning Ojulari’s consistent refusal to honour invitations. Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) labelled the GCEO’s conduct as “disturbing and unacceptable,” noting that he had never appeared before the committee since his appointment. Echoing that sentiment, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) said, “Nobody is bigger than the country. Anyone who believes otherwise has no business being in government. The NNPCL boss must heed the invitation now before he is compelled to do so by force.”

The committee insisted that Ojulari must appear on a rescheduled date, which will be communicated shortly. Senator Wadada emphasised that the inquiry was not a personal attack but a constitutional duty to uphold fiscal transparency. “We have nothing personal against NNPCL officials. Our concern is to ensure probity and accountability as enshrined in the Constitution,” he said. He concluded by urging Ojulari to present himself and address the audit discrepancies, adding, “This is about Nigeria and accountability, not witch-hunting.”