From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts after its sitting on Wednesday and after the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), of NNPCL, Engr Bayo Ojulari and former GCEO, Mele Kyari, including former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, failed to honour the invitation sent to them by the Committee; has shifted the last grace and deadline to the month of 13 May, 2026 for them to appear unfailingly.
Addressing the representative of the NNPCL, the Senate Committee Chairman, Ahmad Wadada, expressed his disappointment over the continuing absence of the invitees, despite the huge amount involved in the investigation, warned that they should not take the Senate for granted.
The Committee also threatens NNPCL boss, Ojulari with arrest if he failed this time around to honour the last invitation which bothered on unaccounted for ₦210trn in the agency’s audit reports from 2017 to 2023.
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Though, it was learnt that the said duo reached out to the committee by phone to confirm their readiness to appear, however , the immediate past Chief Finance Officer of NNPCL, Umar Ajia, appeared before the committee on Wednesday and was handed copies of the audit reports containing queries on the unaccounted ₦210 trillion after being put on oath.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Wadada, disclosed that Kyari called him before the session, while Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, said Wunti assured him of his present at the committee’s next sitting.
Earlier at the commencement of the session, the Chairman frowned at a letter from current GCEO Bayo Ojulari, explaining his absence.
He told the Chief Relations Officer, Morenike Adewumi, who signed the letter dated April 29, 2026; — the same day as the session that if Ojulari fails to appear on May 13 by 3:00 pm, an arrest warrant will be issued.
“Ojulari must appear before this committee at the next session, failure which will lead to his being brought before us by force,” he said.
Expressing his displeasure also over Ojulari’s repeated absence, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Edo North, said it was “totally disrespectful” for the NNPCL GCEO to send a letter signed by a subordinate to explain his absence.
“What cannot be explained must be deemed to have been stolen. It is totally disrespectful for the NNPCL GCEO to send a letter signed by his subordinate to this committee for explanation on wilful absence.
“He needs to be put where he belongs because if there is no Nigeria, there can be no NNPCL, let alone its GCEO”, Oshiomhole. added.
The Committee at this point, had subsequently directed the Chief Relations Officer, Morenike Adewumi, and Financial Controller, Tajudeen Kareem, to inform Ojulari their Boss of the need to appear unfailingly on May 13.
It equally instructed the two officials to make copies of NNPCL’s audit reports available to Kyari and Wunti before the next session.
