The Nigerian Senate has summoned former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari as well as Dr. Bala Wunti to appear before it to account for the yet-to-be accounted for N210 trillion as contained in audit reports of 2017 to 2023.
This directive follows a meeting on Wednesday by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada of Nasarawa West, to address massive financial discrepancies identified in audit reports spanning 2017 to 2023.
The committee issued an ultimatum to the current management of the NNPC Ltd and also demanded the attendance of the former Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajia and the company’s external auditors.
The decision to issue this formal summons was prompted by a motion from Senator Osita Izunaso of Imo West, which received support from Senator Adams Oshiomhole of Edo North.
Senator Wadada expressed the upper chamber’s dissatisfaction with the NNPCL’s previous responses to 19 separate audit queries regarding ₦210 trillion in unaccounted funds.
He emphasized that the public deserves transparent and comprehensive answers rather than the blanket explanations provided thus far.
The Senate is seeking a breakdown of ₦103 trillion categorized by the NNPCL as liabilities. The Committee insisted that these costs must be clearly itemized into their specific components, such as legal, audit, and retention fees.
The lawmakers are also urging the national oil company to provide a detailed justification for ₦107 trillion allegedly spent on Joint Venture (JV) cash calls and debts purportedly linked to defunct financial institutions.
During the proceedings, Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central criticized the repeated failure of NNPCL officials to honor legislative invitations.
He urged the Senate to fully exercise its constitutional powers to compel their attendance, noting that the authority of the legislature is central to a functioning democracy.
The NNPC Ltd now has a two-week window to prepare its documentation.
The Senate has made it clear that failure to comply by the April 29 deadline will be met with further legislative action.