Missing N210tn: NNPCL GCEO Bayo Ojulari Shuns Senate Again, Lawmakers Fume

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, has once again failed to honour the summons of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts over unaccounted funds totaling a staggering ₦210 trillion.

Despite a 10-day ultimatum issued by the Senate, Ojulari was absent at Thursday’s hearing, opting instead to send representatives—a move firmly rejected by the committee led by Senator Aliyu Wadada.

Wadada and fellow lawmakers described the GCEO’s repeated absence as “an outright affront to the authority of the National Assembly” and “a breach of NNPCL’s accountability to the Nigerian people.” The committee maintained that only Ojulari could address the 11 flagged financial infractions identified in the company’s audited financial statements from 2017 to 2023.

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“This is the second time the GCEO has failed to appear before us. We will not condone this level of disregard for the Senate. He must show up in person,” Senator Wadada declared during the session.

The Senate had earlier summoned NNPCL leadership over discrepancies in its financial reports and concerns surrounding transparency in the handling of public funds. In response, NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Dapo Segun, cited an ongoing management retreat as the reason for Ojulari’s absence.

The committee, however, dismissed the explanation, insisting that accountability to the legislature must take precedence over internal company schedules.

Senator Wadada confirmed that a new date will be issued, warning that the committee is prepared to invoke constitutional provisions to compel Ojulari’s appearance if he continues to ignore the summons.