N210 Trillion Audit Report Controversy: Senate reschedules Ojulari’s appearance amid anger

Senate Committee on Public Accounts has rescheduled appearance of the the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL), Engineer Bayo Ojulari for Wednesday 23rd July, 2025 as he was said to have been suddenly invited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the villa at the time he was to appear before the Committee on Tuesday.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Dapo Segun of the National Oil Company stated this on Tuesday when the management of NNPCL were due for investigation and the NNPCL CEO was yet again not available for the fourth time to answer queries raised against the National Oil Company in the audit reports of 2017 to 2023.

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Ojulari’s absence embittered the entire members of the Committee which made them resolved that he must appear before them unfailingly on Wednesday this week by 3:00pm prompt.

The Committee Chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed (Nasarawa West), had after three earlier invitations sent to Ojulari to appear before it for explanation on N210 trillion unaccounted from 2017 to 2023 , extended the fourth invitation to him penultimate Thursday.

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But at its sitting on Tuesday, when the Committee’s Chairman asked the Clerk, Mohammed Sani Abdullahi, whether NNPCL ‘s GCEO was around, the Clerk responded that he sent a letter for explanation on his absence.

Ojulari as contained in the letter dated 22nd July 2025 and read by the committee’s clerk, said urgent invitation he got from President Bola Tinubu at about 1:00pm , prevented him from honouring the committee’s invitation.

However, being the fourth time, the NNPCL’s GCEO, failed to appear before them, members of the committee one after the other in their separate comments, expressed reservations on genuineness or sincerity of reason given by Ojulari.

Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) in his remarks said though intervention of Presidential call, reduces his anger against the NNPCL boss but using Tinubu as an excuse for failing to appear before the committee, should not be allowed to continue.

Senator Joel Thomas Onowakpo (Delta South), in his comment, accused Ojulari of not taking invitation of the committee as a priority.

“To me, the NNPCL boss thinks that he is bigger than this committee and will don’t need a soothsayer to tell us that he will never honour our invitation except we invoke our powers to compel him”, he said.

Similarly, Senator Aminu Abbas (Adamawa Central), said Ojulari is disrespectful to the committee, forgetting that no GCEO is bigger than the National Assembly.

“For failing to honour invitations of this committee four different times , he should be ordered to appear before it tomorrow (Wednesday ) unfailingly”, he said.

Accordingly, the Committee as declared by its Chairman, resolved that Ojulari should appear before it on Wednesday this week by 3:00pm prompt or risk issuance of warrant of arrest against him.

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