Public Accounts Committee warns of sanctions after key agencies failed to honour invitations over audit concerns.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and other government agencies to appear before it over unresolved audit queries.
The directive was issued on Monday after officials of the invited agencies failed to honour the committee’s invitations and offered no formal explanation for their absence.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, said the invitations formed part of the committee’s constitutional oversight responsibilities and efforts to address pending audit matters.
“We wanted to reduce the volume of work to enhance our oversight. The letters and invitations were issued, but our guests have not arrived,” Dankwambo said.
Committee member Senator Babangida Hussaini described the agencies’ absence as disrespectful to the National Assembly, insisting that the legislature should not be taken for granted.
“The committee has powers, and it is most disrespectful to the National Assembly for any agency to fail to appear to respond to audit queries. This committee needs to take drastic action. The Senate is being taken for granted, and that must stop forthwith,” he said.
Also speaking, Senator Patrick Ndubueze called for sanctions against the defaulting agencies, arguing that they had failed to justify their absence.
“The proper consequences should be laid down and carried out. They don’t deserve a second chance. If they can’t attend to this important arm of government after invitations were sent and no explanations were given, they don’t deserve another chance,” he said.
After deliberations, the committee granted the agencies a final 72-hour ultimatum to appear before it on August 6, warning that failure to comply could attract further legislative action.