Missing N210trn: CNPP slams NNPCL CEO, demands probe

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has rebuked the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, over what it described as his repeated refusal to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts.

In a statement released on Friday and signed by the group’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, James Ezema, the CNPP condemned Ojulari’s conduct as an “unacceptable affront to the Nigerian legislature and, by extension, the Nigerian people.”

The group criticized the National Assembly, accusing it of enabling what it termed a culture of lawlessness among government appointees and agency heads.

It described the Senate’s response to Ojulari’s absence as “laughable” and characterized legislative investigations as “theatrical performances with predetermined outcomes.”

“It is laughable to see the Senate Committee on Public Accounts wailing and issuing empty threats after being snubbed again by the NNPCL GCEO. The committee is merely reaping what the Senate has sown over the years,” the statement read.

The CNPP alleged that the National Assembly has long abandoned its constitutional oversight responsibilities, creating an environment where agency heads feel emboldened to disregard legislative summonses.

Reaffirming its long standing position, the CNPP renewed calls for a sweeping judicial inquiry into NNPCL’s operations and finances between 2017 and 2024, warning that the current management under Ojulari is “setting new records in impunity and disrespect for institutional oversight.”

“It has become painfully obvious that the new management of the NNPCL is poised to break the records of the sacked Mele Kyari-led management team in impunity, lack of accountability, and total disregard for institutions with oversight powers over the Federal Government-owned oil company,” the CNPP stated.

The group further alleged that Ojulari’s continued refusal to appear before the Senate is part of a deliberate effort to conceal alleged massive financial misappropriations within the NNPCL, including the suspected looting of N210 trillion, which it claims remains unaccounted for.

“The current delay tactics employed by the NNPCL are a clear and deliberate strategy to protect those who may have been involved in the suspected looting,” the group warned.

Citing years of unresolved concerns, the CNPP demanded a comprehensive and independent audit of the NNPCL, particularly in relation to allegations of zero remittances to the Federation Account, fraudulent refinery maintenance contracts, and controversial recruitment practices.

“The Senate has proven itself incapable of holding the NNPCL to account. The only path to uncovering the monumental fraud that has defined our oil and gas sector is through an independent, uncompromised, and transparent judicial probe,” it said.

The CNPP, in conjunction with over 75 civil society organisations, urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately establish a judicial panel of inquiry with full powers to investigate the NNPCL.

“Anything less will confirm that the entire system is designed to protect powerful interests at the expense of national prosperity and accountability,” the statement emphasized.

Missing N210trn: CNPP slams NNPCL CEO, demands probe