The Nigerian Senate has summoned former NNPC boss Mele Kyari over alleged N210tn mismanagement. Lawmakers claim the national oil company failed to properly account for expenditures from 2017 to 2023. Alongside Kyari, the Senate invited ex-CFO Umar Isa and Bala Wunti, former NAPIMS General Manager. The committee warned it may issue arrest warrants if they fail to appear.
The panel questioned why NNPC spent around N5bn to rename itself from NNPC to NNPC Limited. Senator Aliyu Wadada, committee chairman, emphasized the former management must present themselves before the panel. The officials are required to appear with the current NNPC CEO, Bayo Ojulari, and external auditors. Wadada added NNPC should refund N210tn, comprising unresolved sums of N103tn and N107tn from audit reports.
He explained the corporation must remit all production costs charged against crude oil revenue during the reviewed period. The committee also directed the Auditor General to conduct a forensic audit of NNPC financial statements. Lawmakers criticized the N5bn name-change expenditure as unjustifiable. They demanded satisfactory explanations from the former management.
Despite these challenges, the Senate reaffirmed support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration. They highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and proper public fund management. The committee’s resolutions followed NNPC’s failure to answer 19 audit-related questions satisfactorily. The N103tn cumulative joint venture expenditure remains unresolved.
