Nigerians are not asking for too much, just receipts.
And we’re not talking about suya purchases or jollof ingredients here. It’s the small matter of ₦210 trillion. Yes, trillion, with a T. That’s not just a typo or an enthusiastic press release.
It’s the figure flagged in the audited financial statements of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) from 2017 to 2023.
Now the Senate is in the hot seat, and Nigerians have popped their popcorn.
The big question is: what will come out of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts’ investigation into this “missing” ₦210tn? A blockbuster revelation or another cliffhanger?
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On June 29, the committee chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada gave the NNPCL a 10-working-day ultimatum to respond to 11 very direct questions about the mysterious amounts logged as ₦103 trillion in accrued expenses and ₦107 trillion in receivables.
NNPCL, not to be rushed, asked for two months. Their excuse? “Top executives are out of the country.”
Senator Wadada, not amused, labelled the request “nonsense.” In his words, “This committee is not expecting any documents; we were expecting answers.”
Well, at least someone came prepared to do their job.
The committee promptly reminded NNPCL that it wasn’t hosting a book club but an investigative hearing. So, 10 days was it, and a date was set: July 10. Mark your calendars, people.
But July 10 came, and so did excuses. Again. NNPCL’s GCEO, Bayo Ojulari, didn’t show up, citing an OPEC meeting in Vienna.
The committee, unimpressed, turned down his proxy (the CFO, Dapo Segun), with Senator Abdul Ningi questioning Ojulari’s priorities: “This should have taken priority.”
Senator Adams Oshiomhole didn’t mince words: “Nobody in government is bigger than the country.” And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more dramatic, Senator Victor Umeh tried to hold back his irritation: “I’m moderating my anger because of the mention of a presidential call…” Even lawmakers have blood pressure limits.
When July 22 came around, Ojulari still didn’t show, this time citing a “sudden presidential invitation.”
You could almost hear the committee’s collective eye-roll from across the capital. This was the fourth time he dodged an invitation. At this point, some Nigerians started asking if the man was allergic to the National Assembly chambers.
Senator Joel Onowakpo had had enough: “We don’t need a soothsayer to tell us he will never appear unless we compel him by force of law.” Even Senator Aminu Abbas jumped in, “No GCEO is bigger than the National Assembly.”
Fast forward to July 29, and finally, the elusive Ojulari finally appeared, perhaps sensing the looming threat of a warrant of arrest.
After a bit of verbal sparring and some placating apologies, the Senate granted him three weeks (instead of the four he requested) to respond to 19 audit queries.
Ojulari, barely 100 days into his role, admitted, “Your explanation now changes my perspective about the issues.” Which is fair, if you’re being generous.
“Or if you believe a man can manage ₦210 trillion worth of problems in under four months. Either way, he promised to assemble a crack team to work on the responses and give Nigerians the answers they deserve.
Senator Wadada explained that the queries were not invented by the committee or the media but extracted directly from the NNPCL’s own audited reports as flagged by the Auditor-General.
He also made one thing clear: “This committee has never said the money was stolen or missing; we’re asking for explanations.” But you know what they say—if it walks like a duck and quacks like a ₦210tn audit discrepancy…
Senators, including Victor Umeh, Babangida Hussaini, and Tony Nwoye, stressed that transparency and fair hearing are essential. And they’re right.
But Nigerians are done with drama. We’ve watched too many press conferences that end with, “We’re going into a closed-door session.”
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This time, citizens want clear answers, not behind-the-scenes deals, WhatsApp group reconciliations, or private meetings in the office between the Senate and the NNPCL.
If the Senate raised this alarm, the least it can do is show us the fire, not just smoke.
Nigerians are watching, not with popcorn anymore, but with pens, calculators, and Twitter accounts.
And if by the end of this, all we get is silence, then we might be forced to ask: Who really misplaced ₦210 trillion, or was it just another ‘legislative musical chairs’ performance?
Senate, do the job. And this time, don’t close the door on the people you swore to serve.
If you do decide to close the door, just make sure it’s not made of ₦210 trillion worth of mahogany.
Nigerians are already suspicious.
