Senate Committee Slams Police, NNPC, FIRS, NIS, Defence Ministry for Disregarding Parliamentary Invitations
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The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has expressed its disappointment and frustration with the heads of several government agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the police, and the Defence Ministry, for their alleged refusal to respond to queries against them in the 2019 audit report.
According to the committee’s chairman, Ahmed Wadada, these agencies have shown a persistent disregard for parliamentary invitations, which is not only frustrating but also detrimental to the aspirations and goals of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The committee had commenced consideration of the Audit Report in October 2023, with the aim of presenting its report to the plenary.
However, several agencies have failed to honour invitations to defend their written responses to the audit queries, despite repeated requests.
Senator Wadada stated that the committee’s rules of engagement require accounting officers to attend public hearings to respond to questions arising from the analysis of their submissions. This, in turn, forms the basis for an informed decision on the matter by the committee.
The affected agencies include the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (former DPR), Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, FCT Internal Revenue Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited, among others.
The committee has warned that any agency that refuses to honour an invitation to defend its queries will have its queries sustained and reported to the Senate in plenary. This move is seen as a last resort to ensure accountability and transparency in government agencies.
The disregard for parliamentary invitations by these agencies raises concerns about their commitment to transparency and accountability. As public institutions, they have a responsibility to account for their actions and respond to queries in a timely and satisfactory manner.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has vowed to take a firm stance on this matter, ensuring that all agencies are held accountable for their actions and that the aspirations and goals of President Tinubu’s government are not undermined by their inaction.
