The directive was issued at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, by the PAC Chairman, Bamidele Salam, who expressed strong dissatisfaction with NNPCL’s repeated failure to honour previous invitations or provide the required documents.
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, to submit all outstanding documents and appear before it on Monday, December 15, 2025.
This is over audit queries issued by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation for the 2021 financial year.
The directive was issued at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, by the PAC Chairman, Bamidele Salam, who expressed strong dissatisfaction with NNPCL’s repeated failure to honour previous invitations or provide the required documents.
Salam warned that the company’s conduct was testing the patience of lawmakers.
He said the committee would not be deterred from exercising its constitutional mandate to scrutinise agencies under its jurisdiction, according to PUNCH.
At the resumed hearing, the chairman, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency of Osun State, read a letter sent by the NNPCL boss explaining his absence.
Ojulari cited another “critical official engagement at the Presidential Villa” as the reason he could not attend.
The explanation, however, angered committee members, who described it as disrespectful to the parliament and an impediment to the audit review process.
An appeal by NNPCL’s National Assembly Liaison Officer, Umar Faruk, prompted the committee to grant one more opportunity for compliance, fixing December 15 as the new date for appearance and submission of 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.”
NNPCL is expected to respond to several audit queries, including allegations of payments to contractors for abandoned projects, failure to deduct statutory taxes, and irregular payments reportedly made by the Chief Finance Officer without approval from the Group Managing Director.
The Public Accounts Committee is constitutionally mandated to examine audit reports submitted by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
Over time, it has expanded its oversight focus to issues such as misuse of public funds, unretired advances, contract inflation, unauthorised payments, and non-remittance of revenue to the Federation Account.
PAC’s interventions have resulted in significant recoveries for the Federal Government.
The committee has uncovered fully paid-for but abandoned capital projects, discrepancies in financial declarations by revenue agencies, and breaches of procurement and financial regulations.
The petroleum sector, particularly NNPCL, has been a regular feature in PAC hearings due to recurring audit concerns, including unaccounted payments, opaque subsidy claims, joint venture cash call discrepancies, and issues involving crude oil sales and remittances.
Auditor-General’s reports have consistently flagged gaps in documentation, contract execution, and tax compliance within oil and gas agencies.
The latest summons to NNPCL forms part of PAC’s broader efforts to enforce accountability in response to the 2021 audit cycle, which identified multiple irregularities across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The committee has repeatedly stressed that no agency, regardless of its size or strategic importance to the nation, is exempt from legislative scrutiny and that compliance with oversight obligations is mandatory under Nigerian law.
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