The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is facing a legislative ultimatum, as the House of Representatives’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to submit all outstanding documents and personally appear before the committee on Monday, December 15, 2025.
The directive, issued by PAC Chairman Hon. Bamidele Salam during a sitting on Monday in Abuja, relates to audit queries concerning NNPCL expenditures spanning January to December 2021.
Hon. Salam expressed profound frustration over the NNPCL’s repeated failure to honor past invitations or provide the necessary documents, despite having received multiple reminders. He sternly warned that the committee would no longer tolerate what it viewed as a blatant disregard for legislative oversight functions.
During the session, the committee reviewed a letter from NNPCL explaining the GCEO’s absence, which cited a conflicting critical official engagement at the Presidential Villa. However, PAC members dismissed the excuse, criticizing the company’s conduct as disrespectful to the legislature and fundamentally obstructive to the mandatory audit review process.
Following an intervention and appeal by NNPCL’s National Assembly Liaison Officer, Hon. Umar Faruk, the committee reluctantly granted a final grace period.
In granting the one-week extension, Hon. Salam issued a clear warning about the committee’s tight schedule. “We have agreed as a committee to give you up till next week Monday, the 15th of December, for a fresh appearance. Remember, the committee is very busy; we are dealing with so many issues. If you had been here in the last couple of weeks, you would understand the volume of matters before us,” he stated.
NNPCL is required to respond to several serious audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. These queries include alleged payments to contractors for abandoned projects, failure to deduct statutory taxes as required by law, and irregular payments reportedly authorized by the Chief Finance Officer without the requisite approval of the Group Managing Director.
