By Peter Taiwo
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, for failing to appear before it over allegations of an unaccounted ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
The decision followed Kyari’s absence at the committee’s investigative hearing into the alleged financial discrepancies.
During the session, some lawmakers appealed to the committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), to grant Kyari another opportunity to appear, citing reports that he was receiving medical treatment in Germany.
The appeal, however, faced stiff opposition from other committee members, who insisted that a warrant of arrest be issued against the former NNPCL chief.
Leading the opposition, Senator Abdul Ningi argued that verbal explanations for Kyari’s absence were insufficient and should be supported by documented medical evidence. Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) subsequently moved a motion for the issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Seconding the motion, the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North), said granting Kyari another opportunity to appear voluntarily would amount to a wild goose chase.
“This is the ninth time this committee is meeting on the 19 queries raised against NNPCL by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. I personally chaired three of these sessions.
“Mr Chairman, the time to issue a warrant of arrest against Mele Kyari is now because the committee must conclude its assignment and report back to the Senate,” he said.
Following a voice vote, the committee overwhelmingly adopted the motion.
Declaring the committee’s position, Dankwambo directed that Kyari be arrested wherever he is and brought before the panel.
Meanwhile, former NNPCL Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, rejected claims that ₦210 trillion was unaccounted for, arguing that the figure exceeded the company’s total revenue during the period under review.
According to him, NNPCL generated about ₦54.5 trillion in revenue between 2017 and 2023, making it impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the confidence to publish audited accounts. For more than 40 years, those accounts were either not prepared, not published, or not submitted to the Auditor-General.
“₦210 trillion is an enormous amount. NNPC’s total revenue during the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It is therefore impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for,” he said.
Ajiya also dismissed claims that ₦5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the allegation as false and damaging.
“Unfounded claims cause significant damage. They affect the reputations of individuals, the company and Nigeria as a whole. International rating agencies rely on public information to assess countries, and inaccurate reports can negatively impact Nigeria’s credit rating and national interests,” he said.
He challenged those making the allegations to provide evidence in support of their claims.
As the investigation continues, the committee directed Ajiya and Bala Wunti, who served as Chief Upstream Investment Officer during the period under review, to reappear before it in two weeks.
