Mele Kyari, who until recently ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited as Group Chief Executive Officer, was on Tuesday questioned by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, ending months of back-and-forth over his attendance.
He walked into Hearing Room 4 at the National Assembly in Abuja flanked by a team of NNPCL officials.
At the centre of the session: unresolved audit queries and alleged financial discrepancies in the company’s books covering 2017 to 2023, said to run beyond N210tn.
The Auditor-General for the Federation had referred the queries to the committee, which then demanded answers from Kyari and his former colleagues.
The committee, led by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North), had previously voted to use its constitutional powers to force Kyari to appear after he allegedly ignored several invitations.
That decision followed a motion moved by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), as lawmakers grew frustrated with what they called efforts to stall the probe.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole went further, accusing Kyari of failing to account for alleged financial mismanagement while in office and pressing the committee to issue an arrest warrant.
The former Edo State governor also insisted that Kyari appear personally rather than send representatives.
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The Senate, however, made clear that no committee can issue or execute an arrest warrant unless it strictly complies with the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and secures the express approval of the Senate President.
It also dissociated itself from Oshiomhole’s description of the NNPCL as “a bunch of criminals and thieves,” saying the remark did not represent the position of the upper chamber.