The Nigerian Senate has sharply criticised the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), accusing it of violating constitutional provisions and deliberately avoiding legislative oversight, particularly in matters relating to recruitment.

The accusation was made during an investigative hearing by the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, chaired by Senator Allwell Onyesoh (PDP, Rivers East).

Speaking at the session, Senator Onyesoh accused the NNPCL of operating with impunity, particularly in defiance of accountability standards required by the 1999 Constitution as amended.

GALAXY TV reports that the investigative hearing was convened to examine allegations of lopsided recruitment across federal agencies.

During the session, the committee also queried Mr. Charles Odii, Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), over recruitment irregularities. It was discovered that Katsina State alone had more recruits than one the entire southern regions in south

Meanwhile, the committee commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), under the leadership of Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, for its cooperation and transparency during the investigation.

The National Universities Commission (NUC), represented by Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, also appeared before the committee and admitted to lopsided recruitment. The committee directed the NUC to submit its recruitment plans for review before proceeding with any future exercises.

The committee reiterated that all federal agencies must strictly comply with the principles of federal character, warning that any agency found in breach of the constitution will face appropriate sanctions.