The external auditors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) have failed to fully honour the invitation of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts regarding their appearance before the committee.
The committee had summoned the auditors in connection with audit queries raised in the reports of the affected agencies prior to 2023.
However, the auditors, through a letter from their legal representatives, Afe Babalola & Co., informed the committee that the matters raised in the audit reports are already subjects of litigation by aggrieved parties and, therefore, it would be sub judice for them to appear.
Also, the committee was dissatisfied with the reason given by the external auditors. In a counter letter dated 15th May 2025, the committee directed the external auditors to appear before it on Tuesday, 20th May 2025, without fail.
The committee in the letter titled :” Re : Special Legislative Inquiry on the External Auditors to NNPCL and NAPIMS ” among others , told the external auditors that the scope of its work goes beyond the case before the court.
“That the external auditors have a duty of full disclosure of the claim in court, by furnishing the Committee of the Court process, so as to determine the involvement of the National Assembly or the Senate to the case on the subject of Sub-jucice.”
Meanwhile.Arising from the foregoing, the External Auditors to NNPCL and NAPIMS are advised to honour the appointment of 20 May, 2025 as earlier acknowledged, else the Committee would explore its Power to compel attendance”.
However, at the session this Tuesday , none of the external auditors appeared before the committee but represented by one of their solicitors , Oyetola Muyiwa Atoyebi ( SAN), who was not allowed to make any submission .
But Atoyebi, who later spoke to journalists , said the external auditors couldn’t appear before the committee to avoid subjudice .
“The committee had earlier been informed that the external auditors would not appear before it because issues to be deliberated upon are already in court and would amount to subjudice on their part to make any submissions on them .
He added that It is even subjudice for the committee itself to be holding sessions on issues being litigated against in the court of law.
Bashir Aliyu.
