An investigative hearing into audit reports on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) failed to take off at the Senate on Monday as the four agencies invited shunned the exercise.
The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) were invited to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts (SPAC) for the opening session on Monday.
However, none of the agencies appeared, sent representatives or provided official reasons to the committee for their absence.
After waiting for more than an hour from 3 p.m., the scheduled commencement time, members of the committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, expressed disappointment over the decision of the heads of the agencies to shun the invitations.
The committee is probing audit queries issued by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation between 2021 and 2023, in compliance with the oversight powers vested in the National Assembly under Sections 88 and 89, as well as Section 85(5) of the Constitution and Order 95(5) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026.
The hearing is also intended to evaluate MDAs’ compliance with financial regulations, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, and other relevant laws.
In his opening remarks, Dankwambo said he was shocked that all four agencies scheduled to appear on the first day of the hearing had shunned the exercise despite the fact that notices were duly served on them and advertisements were placed in major media outlets.
Senator Babangida Husseini, speaking in a similar vein, described the agencies’ action as “most disrespectful to the National Assembly”.
He said, “The investigation is in line with the constitutional powers of the National Assembly, and it is most disrespectful to the Legislature for any agency to fail to appear to respond to audit queries.”
Husseini called for “drastic action” against the agencies for failing to appear and for not having the courtesy to write to the committee to explain their absence.
“The Senate is being taken for granted, and this must stop forthwith,” the lawmaker added.
Another member of the committee, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, recommended sanctions, saying the agencies had deliberately ignored the hearing.
He disagreed with suggestions by some senators, including Senator Simon Lalong, that the agencies should be given a second opportunity.
“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 provided, they don’t deserve another chance,” he stated.
However, several senators, while expressing disapproval of the agencies’ actions, supported a proposal to give them another opportunity to “appear unfailingly” on August 6.
Dankwambo subsequently directed the committee’s secretariat to contact the agencies again regarding the new date before adjourning the session.