The Senate Tuesday through its Committee on Public Accounts, gave the Nigerian National Petroleum Company ( NNPCL), three weeks to respond to queries raised against it in the audit reports of 2017 to 2023, alleging unaccountability of N210trillion .
This is as the committee chaired by Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu ( Nasarawa West) , insisted that the amount in question , was neither stolen or missing but yet to be accounted for.
The three weeks window for explanations was given to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL , Engineer Bayo Ojulari after accepting his apology for past failed appearances before it.
Ojulari had after his apology to the committee , explained to its members that for satisfactory response from him on the 19 queries raised , he needed more time to dig into the technicalities and persoectives of issues raised.
” I’m just over 100 days in the office as the GCEO of NNPCL. Still need time to do further digging , given the perspectives I have heard now into the issues, this is coming in the midst of a huge national assignment, your explanation now changes my perspective about the issues,.
‘ I need to understand the issues myself so I can respond appropriately. Will get a team and please get the details properly reconciled so we can work to provide answers to the queries.
” In doing this , I will surely engage the external auditors and other relevant groups “, he said .
Though he requested for four weeks, but the committee granted him three weeks which according to him , is enough for the response expected from NNPCL.
Explaining the nitty gritty of the queries to the NNPCL GCEO, Senator Wadada said the N210trillion unaccounted for , are broadly in two components of N103trillion liabilities and N107trillion assets which according to him must be accounted for .
“There are none out of the 18 or 19 questions we have on NNPCL from us as a committee , neither did it come from the executive or judiciary. they are questions extracted from the audited financial statement of the NNPCL by the auditor -general covering 2017 to 2023 .
” Also this committee had not at any time , said the N210trillion in question as far as the queries are concerned , was stolen or missing . What the committee is doing, is required investigation on queries raised in the report in line with its constitutional mandate.
” Therefore , the committee is giving NNPCL , three weeks to forward written responses to it on all the 19 queries after which , the GCEO , will be invited along with with other management staff for physical appearance and defence .”, he said .
Earlier before the ruling of the Chairman, virtually all members of the committee spoke on seriousness of the issues at stake but expressed optimism that the GCEO will clear the air on them .
Specifically , Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) said : ” We are happy to have you because we have been waiting for you . one thing that must be stated clearly is that we need transparency, and NNPCL is in possession of Nigeria’s economic prosperity”.
Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North West) in his comments , said there is need for NNPCL management team to look into the issues raised since governance is a continuum , saying ” the issues are germane and critical “.
But another member of the committee , Senator Tony Nwoye ( Anambra North), said : ” It is very important and germane to give them ( NNPCL) , fair hearing . Maybe the audited report is not correct”.
