The Nigerian Senate, through its Committee on Public Accounts, has expressed deep frustration over the refusal of several key government agencies to respond to audit queries raised against them in the 2019 Audit report. This refusal, the Senate insists, is not only unprofessional but also a significant obstacle to the government’s transparency and accountability efforts.
On Tuesday, the committee, chaired by Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu (SDP Nasarawa West), criticized the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Nigeria Police Force, among others, for their persistent refusal to respond to the queries despite multiple invitations and opportunities to do so.
Senator Aliyu, speaking to journalists, expressed the committee’s disappointment with the affected agencies. He emphasized that their refusal to engage with the audit process was both frustrating and detrimental to the aspirations and goals of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “The attitude of the affected public agencies on persistent refusal to respond to queries against them in the audit report is frustrating and detrimental to the aspirations and goals of President Bola Tinubu-led federal government,” he said.
The audit queries, which were raised in the 2019 report, are part of the Senate’s oversight responsibilities, ensuring that public funds are used appropriately and that agencies are held accountable for their financial actions. However, the refusal of these agencies to respond has led to the Senate sustaining the queries against them. Senator Aliyu made it clear that going forward, any agency that refuses to honor the committee’s invitations will have its queries sustained and will be reported to the Senate Plenary for further action.
“The committee has over time, extended invitations to those agencies, providing them ample opportunities to defend their queries. But for reasons best known to them, these agencies have chosen to disregard invitations,” Senator Aliyu stated. This refusal to engage with the Senate’s oversight process is seen as a direct challenge to the legislative body’s authority and its role in ensuring good governance.
Apart from the NNPCL, FIRS, and the Police, other agencies that have been identified for their lack of cooperation include the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (formerly the Department of Petroleum Resources – DPR), and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment. Additional agencies that have also failed to honor the committee’s invitations include the FCT Internal Revenue Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited.
Senator Aliyu pointed out that the committee commenced its consideration of the 2019 Audit Report in October 2023, with the intention of presenting its findings to the Senate Plenary. However, the refusal of certain agencies to participate in the process has delayed this timeline. “The Committee is very displeased with the attitude of foot-dragging by agencies who are, by law, expected to respond to parliamentary invitations and account for their actions,” he said.
The Senate’s Public Accounts Committee has a specific set of rules of engagement, which include not only the submission of written responses to audit queries but also the attendance of Accounting Officers at public hearings. These hearings allow the committee to ask questions arising from the analysis of the submissions and to make informed decisions on the matters at hand. The refusal of agencies to participate in these hearings undermines the committee’s ability to perform its constitutional and legislative functions effectively.
“The desire of the Public Accounts Committee to timely discharge its constitutional and legislative function is being thwarted by the evasive and negative actions of some CEOs or accounting officers of the concerned MDAs,” Senator Aliyu noted. This situation is seen as particularly problematic given the current administration’s commitment to improving governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Despite the challenges posed by the non-cooperative agencies, Senator Aliyu reaffirmed the committee’s resolve to uphold its responsibilities. He stated that any agency that fails to honor invitations to respond to audit queries would have its queries sustained as per the Auditor-General’s Annual Report. “It is on this note that we as a Committee have resolved that going forward, the Senate Public Accounts Committee will go ahead to consider their audit queries as contained in the Auditor-General Annual’s Report,” he said.
Moreover, the committee plans to formalize this approach as part of its rules of engagement, ensuring that any future lapses in cooperation by government agencies will be met with decisive action. “Also, this resolution would be added to our rules of engagement if MDAs fail to improve on their attendance to our invitations,” Senator Aliyu added.
In his concluding remarks, Senator Aliyu expressed confidence in the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to improving Nigeria’s governance. However, he warned that the uncooperative attitude of some agency heads could undermine these efforts. “The Committee is not in doubt of the commitment of the present administration under the stewardship of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make Nigeria better, but with the attitude of the aforementioned Chief Executives, that will not be achievable unless and until we all do the needful,” he concluded.
This ongoing issue highlights the broader challenges of enforcing accountability within Nigeria’s public sector and the Senate’s firm stance on this matter serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and cooperation between government agencies and the legislative body.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen whether the affected agencies will change their approach or continue to face sustained audit queries and potential further actions by the Senate.
