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 the committee on Monday, December 15, 2025.

The directive follows unresolved audit queries issued by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation for NNPCL’s 2021 financial year.

The order was issued at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, by PAC Chairman Bamidele Salam, who expressed frustration with NNPCL’s repeated failure to honour prior invitations or provide the requested documentation.

“The company’s conduct is testing the patience of lawmakers. The committee will not be deterred from exercising its constitutional mandate to scrutinise agencies under its jurisdiction,” Salam said.

During the resumed hearing, Ojulari, through a letter, cited another “critical official engagement at the Presidential Villa” as the reason for his absence. Committee members described the explanation as disrespectful to parliament and an impediment to the audit process.

Following an appeal by NNPCL’s National Assembly Liaison Officer, Umar Faruk, the committee granted a final opportunity for compliance, fixing December 15 as the new date for Ojulari’s appearance and submission of all requested documents.

NNPCL is expected to respond to multiple audit concerns, including allegations of:

• Payments to contractors for abandoned projects
• Failure to deduct statutory taxes
• 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, its oversight has extended to misuse of public funds, unretired advances, contract inflation, unauthorised payments, and non-remittance of revenue to the Federation Account.

PAC interventions have historically led to significant recoveries for the Federal Government, uncovering fully paid but abandoned capital projects, discrepancies in revenue agency financials, and breaches of procurement and financial regulations.

The petroleum sector, particularly NNPCL, has been a recurring focus of PAC hearings due to issues such as unaccounted payments, opaque subsidy claims, joint venture cash call discrepancies, and crude oil sales and remittances. Auditor-General reports have consistently highlighted gaps in documentation, contract execution, and tax compliance.

This latest summons is part of PAC’s broader efforts to enforce accountability following the 2021 audit cycle, which identified multiple irregularities across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Salam emphasised that no agency, regardless of size or strategic importance, is exempt from legislative scrutiny, and that compliance with oversight obligations is mandatory under Nigerian law.