Reps order NNPC Ltd appearance over irregular payments probe

FILE: House of Representatives.

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The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives on Monday directed the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, to tender relevant documents and appear before it on Monday, December 15, 2025, over audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation between January and December 2021.

The Chairman of the Committee, Bamidele Salam, gave the directive at the committee’s sitting at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

Salam, who expressed concern over NNPC’s persistent failure to honour the committee’s invitations or provide the requested documents despite multiple reminders, warned the NNPC’s boss that the lawmakers’ patience has been stretched to its limit, insisting that nothing would derail it from overseeing all agencies under its jurisdiction.

At the resumed hearing, the chairman, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency, Osun State, read a letter addressed to the committee by the NNPC’s boss.

Ojulari, in the letter, explained his absence, citing another critical official engagement at the Presidential Villa. The excuse did not sit well with the committee members, who described it as disrespectful to the parliament and obstructive to the audit review process.

Following an appeal by the NNPC National Assembly Liaison Officer, Umar Faruk, the committee resolved to grant another window and fixed December 15, 2025, for the company to appear and submit all requested documents.

Ruling on the matter, Salam said, “We have agreed as a committee to give you till next Monday, December 15, for a fresh appearance. Remember, the committee is very busy; we are handling numerous issues. If you have been here in the last couple of weeks, you would understand the volume of matters before us.”

The NNPC is expected to respond to several queries raised by the Auditor-General, including alleged payments made to contractors for abandoned projects, failure to deduct statutory taxes, and irregular payments made by the Chief Finance Officer without the approval of the Group Managing Director.

The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives is constitutionally empowered to examine audit reports submitted by the Auditor-General of the Federation. Over the years, the committee has broadened its oversight activities, focusing on misuse of public funds, unretired advances, contract inflation, unauthorised payments, and non-remittance of revenue to the Federation Account.

PAC’s interventions have led to significant recoveries for the Federal Government. In several instances, the committee has uncovered abandoned capital projects that were fully paid for, discrepancies in revenue declarations by revenue-generating agencies, and violations of procurement and financial regulations.

The petroleum sector, particularly NNPC, has frequently featured in the committee’s hearings, owing to recurrent audit red flags, including unaccounted-for payments, opaque subsidy claims, joint venture cash calls, and issues related to crude oil sales and remittances. Audit queries from the Auditor-General have regularly highlighted gaps in documentation, contract execution, and tax compliance within agencies operating in the oil and gas industry.

This latest summons to NNPC fits into PAC’s broader effort to enforce accountability and ensure full response to audit findings for the 2021 financial year, an audit cycle that flagged numerous irregularities across multiple MDAs. The committee has consistently maintained that no agency, regardless of size or strategic importance, is exempt from scrutiny and that compliance with parliamentary oversight is mandatory under Nigerian laws.

Dirisu, has over 12 years experience covering political parties, National Assembly, sports, transportation, etc, and currently works with The PUNCH

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