The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has denied allegations that it abducted or forced the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, to resign, following the speculation about his resignation.
A top source within the EFCC, however, confirmed to Sunday PUNCH that the anti-graft agency received a petition against the NNPCL boss.
On Saturday, rumours of Ojulari’s alleged interrogation and forced resignation spread on social media, with some reports claiming that he was pressured by the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi, to sign a resignation letter.
However, speaking to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, a top EFCC official dismissed the forced resignation report.
The official said, “Those are fake news. It is not true that the EFCC abducted him (Ojulari). On Thursday, protesters came to our office with a petition that they want the commission to investigate the NNPCL chairman.
“These people have the right to submit petitions. We told them we would look into the petition. So, where is the abduction? People should be careful about spreading rumours.”
Similarly, a top DSS official also dismissed claims that the agency’s Director-General orchestrated a so-called “coup” to unlawfully remove Ojulari from office.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the allegations as unfounded and misleading.
“The DSS is not involved in the allegation. In fact, our boss mentioned in the allegation has no hand in it,” the official said.
However, some NNPCL inside sources told Sunday PUNCH there were indications that some individuals within the Presidency were uneasy with the leadership style of Ojulari, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in April to replace Mele Kyari, who headed the corporation for six years.
Unlike his predecessor, Ojulari was said to be steering the NNPCL strictly as a commercial enterprise, reportedly resisting pressure from political interests.
His recent dismissal of several top NNPC officials was believed to have unsettled some influential government figures and politicians linked to those affected.
Sources also noted that Ojulari was under suspicion for allegedly maintaining ties with a prominent opposition politician in the country.
However, attempts to obtain an official response from the NNPCL to the rumoured resignation were unsuccessful, as the company has yet to appoint a new spokesperson following the resignation of Olufemi Soneye.
NNPCL officials contacted by our correspondents on Saturday declined to confirm or deny the reports.
PUNCH reports that Ojulari, on Tuesday, appeared before the National Assembly to respond to queries raised in audit reports covering the period from 2017 to 2023, regarding the alleged unaccounted sum of N210tn.
The Senate gave him three weeks to respond to provide answers.
The directive was issued by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Ahmed Wadada (Nasarawa West), after a session with Ojulari.
Senator Wadada clarified that the money was neither missing nor stolen, but was yet to be properly accounted for.
He said, “The N210tn unaccounted for is broadly in two components of N103tn liabilities and N107tn assets, which must be accounted for. None of the 18 or 19 questions we asked NNPC to explain came from the executive or judiciary.
“They are questions extracted from the audited financial statement of the NNPC by the Auditor-General covering 2017 to 2023. Also, this committee had not at any time said the N210tn in question, as far as the queries are concerned, was stolen or missing.
“What the committee is doing is a required investigation on queries raised in the report in line with its constitutional mandate. Therefore, the committee is giving NNPC three weeks to forward written responses on all 19 queries, after which the GCEO will be invited along with other management staff to appear for defence.”
Ojulari, who was appearing before the committee for the first time since assuming office a little over 100 days ago, tendered an apology for earlier failed appearances.
The NNPC boss also requested additional time to review the 19 audit queries.
“I’m just over 100 days in office as the GCEO of NNPC. I still need time to do further digging, given the perspectives I have heard now on the issues. This is coming in the midst of a huge national assignment. Your explanation has now changed my perspective about the issues.
“I need to understand the issues myself so I can respond appropriately. I will get a team, and please get the details properly reconciled so we can work to provide answers to the queries. In doing this, I will surely engage the external auditors and other relevant groups,” he assured.
Although Ojulari requested four weeks, the committee settled for three, which he said would be sufficient to prepare NNPC’s defence.(Punch)
