The Senate has threatened to invoke its constitutional powers to compel the appearance of external auditors engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), after all four auditing firms failed to honour an invitation to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC).
Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, chairman of the committee, Senator Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa SDP), expressed strong dissatisfaction over the absence of the auditors, warning that a warrant of arrest may be issued if they fail to show up by the new deadline.
He said it was completely unacceptable that citizens saddled with public trust would consistently breach same.
Tensions rose in the committee room when none of the four external auditing firms engaged by NNPCL appeared before the committee, despite being formally invited to clarify what the committee described as “contentious issues” in the NNPCL’s annual and political financial statements.
Instead, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) appeared on their behalf, claiming he had been delegated to represent the firms. The committee, however, rejected the appearance of the senior lawyer, describing it as inappropriate and inconsistent with the rules of engagement.
According to the committee, only the actual auditors, those who prepared the reports—are deemed fit to provide answers and clarifications. “We found him not fit and proper as of today to stand before us as a representative of the external auditing firms,” Senator Wadada stated.
The committee also listed the names of the external auditing firms involved to include SIAO, VWC, Muktali Dangana & Co and Ahmed Zakaria & Co. The firms, according to lawmakers, were expected to appear individually to respond to specific queries raised in the examination of NNPCL’s 2023 accounts.
“If they do not appear as summoned, we will have no choice but to invoke the powers available to us under the law to compel their attendance. The Nigerian public and the international community deserve to know the truth,” the committee warned.
The lawmakers hinted that failure to honour the new deadline could lead to full public disclosure of the financial irregularities under scrutiny, as well as legal steps to compel compliance.
Also, a member of the committee, Senator Saliu Mustapha, added that: “There are sensitive issues that must be addressed. We cannot allow them to be swept under the carpet. Our duty as representatives of the Nigerian people demands that we ensure full accountability.”
In a firm resolution, the committee issued a final warning, giving the external auditors a new deadline of Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at exactly 2:00pm to appear in person before it. “We are giving the auditors of NNPC two weeks from now—but to be clear, they must appear next week Tuesday,” the committee stated, signalling its unwillingness to tolerate no further delays.
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