CNPP Blasts NNPCL Boss Over Senate Probe Boycott, Accuses NASS of Enabling Lawlessness, Calls Senate’s Reaction “Laughable

 

....Reiterates Demand for Independent Judicial Probe Into N210 Trillion Oil Sector Fraud

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

In a press statement released Friday, the group condemned Ojulari’s actions as a direct affront to democratic institutions and declared that the real problem lies in the National Assembly’s long-standing failure to assert its constitutional authority.

Describing the development as a “flagrant and unacceptable affront to the Nigerian legislature and, by extension, the Nigerian people,” the CNPP said Ojulari’s conduct is not a one-off but rather “a predictable symptom of the catastrophic failure of our basic national institutions for promoting accountability, compliance, and regulation.”

The statement, signed by Comrade James Ezema, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the CNPP, took a swipe at the Senate, particularly the Committee on Public Accounts, accusing it of hypocrisy and institutional weakness.

“It is, therefore, 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. For too long, Nigerians have watched probes and public hearings turn into theatrical performances with predetermined outcomes,” the CNPP stated.

The group maintained that this latest episode is not surprising, as the 10th National Assembly, like many before it, “appears more interested in performance than in genuine oversight.”

According to the umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in the country, the continued erosion of oversight power by the legislature has emboldened appointees and heads of agencies like Mr. Ojulari to treat summons with disdain, a practice the group believes is now institutionalized.

“We are not deceived by this latest charade, as past experience shows that after all the noise, absolutely nothing will come out of it,” the statement noted.

Reaffirming its long-standing position, the CNPP renewed its call for a sweeping judicial probe into the operations and finances of the NNPCL from 2017 to 2024. The group expressed deep concern that the current management team is already 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,” CNPP warned.

The political parties and political associations also frowned that the repeated avoidance of the Senate by the NNPCL GCEO is part of a larger plan to conceal the truth about the massive financial misappropriations allegedly taking place within the state-owned oil giant.

“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 of the colossal N210 trillion, which remains unaccounted for. This development is a full vindication of the CNPP's consistent advocacy over the years.”

Citing years of unaddressed concerns, the CNPP emphasized its consistent demand for a comprehensive and independent audit of the NNPCL, especially in light of widespread allegations involving zero remittances to the Federation Account, fraudulent turnaround maintenance of refineries, and scandalous recruitment practices.

The group argued that the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, has repeatedly failed to hold the oil corporation accountable. Consequently, the only credible path forward, it insisted, is a fully independent judicial panel of inquiry empowered to probe the oil behemoth.

“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,” the CNPP said.

In its final remarks, the group renewed its joint call—alongside over 75 Civil Society Organisations—urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take immediate action.

“We reiterate our demand, alongside over 75 Civil Society Organisations, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu immediately constitute a panel of inquiry with judicial 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 concluded.

The CNPP, a coalition of political parties and political associations in Nigeria committed to democratic accountability and institutional reform, has continued to be a vocal advocate for transparency in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Signed:

Comrade James Ezema, 

Deputy National Publicity Secretary, 

CNPP