• Lawmakers threaten to escalate matter to Tinubu

Tensions rose at the National Assembly yesterday as the Senate Committee on Public Accounts issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bashir Ojulari, after he failed to appear before the Senate for the fourth time in two months.

Ojulari, who is under scrutiny over N210 trillion in financial discrepancies in NNPCL’s audited accounts from 2017 to 2023, has consistently avoided direct engagement with the Senate, raising what lawmakers now describe as a deliberate campaign of evasion and disdain for democratic oversight.

At yesterday’s session, senators were visibly enraged after receiving a letter—signed by NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Adedayo Segun, claiming that Ojulari was summoned to the Presidential Villa for an urgent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

The lawmakers rejected the excuse and called it a flimsy cover for what they see as institutional arrogance and disrespect for the authority of the National Assembly.

“That letter is suspicious. This is a tactic, an excuse to avoid us again. We should take this directly to the President. Ojulari cannot continue to undermine this committee with impunity,” Senator Victor Umeh said.

The committee is investigating the alarming figures in the NNPCL’s audited reports, including N103 trillion in accrued expenses, ₦600 billion in retention fees, and other unexplained legal and audit charges, all without supporting documentation or contracts.

“This is not personal. These are public funds. This is about transparency. The GCEO has shown total contempt for the Nigerian people,” said Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas.

Senator Aminu Abbas added: “He is not bigger than this country. He must present himself tomorrow, or this committee will take the necessary actions. Enough is enough.”

Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, condemned the GCEO’s posture as an insult to the institution of the Senate.