The Senate Committee on Public Accounts, yesterday, clarified that the N210 trillion financial infraction raised against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), in the audit reports of 2017 to 2023, was uncounted for by the oil company.

However, the Committee led by Senator Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West), insisted that the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, Engr Bayo Ojulari, must appear before it for explanations on the financial infractions and other queries raised against the NNPCL.

The chairman and members of the Committee made the declaration during an investigative meeting it had with top management staff of NNPCL as earlier scheduled since June 26.

The Committee had at the end of investigative session it had with management of NNPCL on 26th of last month, directed that the GCEO of the company must appear before it along with relevant officers on 10th of July, 2025, to account for the N210 trillion financial infraction and defend other queries raised NNPCL in the audit reports.

In line with its earlier directive, the Committee refused to allow the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr Dapo Segun, to make any submission or presentation to it on behalf of the GCEO, Ojulari, who had travelled for a meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), currently holding in Vienna in Austria.

The first lawmaker to kick against allowing NNPCL CFO to make presentation was Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), who accused NNPCL of taking the Committee for granted with persistent absence of its GCEO from critical sessions requiring his presence.

“It is very disturbing 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 really disturbing.

“Invitation for his appearance before the Committee was sent to him before the OPEC meeting which, as far as we are concerned, he supposed to use his discretion on where to be today which should be before this Committee and by extension, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He must appear before this committee as directed,” he said.

Another member of the Committee, Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), slammed the GCEO for his persistent failure of appearing 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 with force.

The Committee is not appealing but ordering him to appear before it, which in his own interest must be obeyed,” he said. The Committee, accordingly as declared by the Chairman, resolved that NNPCL GCEO must appear before it unfailingly on a date that will be communicated to him.