By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has summoned the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, to appear before it on Monday after expressing frustration over what it described as his persistent failure to honour invitations and provide documents required for legislative oversight.
The Chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, issued what it called a final invitation during its sitting on Tuesday, warning that it would invoke its constitutional powers if the Accountant-General failed to appear. 
Lawmakers said they were disturbed by what they described as the “non-responsive” attitude of the nation’s chief accountant, noting that several letters sent to his office in recent months had gone unanswered.
According to the committee, the repeated failure of the Accountant-General to appear before lawmakers or submit requested financial documents was hindering its constitutional responsibility to scrutinise public expenditure and ensure accountability.
Speaking during the session, Salam said the committee was particularly concerned by the conduct of the Accountant-General.
“The Public Accounts Committee is equally worried that the Accountant General is not showing any diligence in the rendering of Accounts of his office and the preparation of the country’s consolidated financial statements, thus setting a bad example for other agencies of government.
“The Office of the Accountant-General occupies a strategic position in Nigeria’s public financial management system. As a critical institution entrusted with the management of public finances, it is expected to work closely with the Committee in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities. Unfortunately, the current Accountant-General has not demonstrated the level of cooperation expected of the office”, he said.
Salam stressed that no public official was exempt from legislative scrutiny.
He reaffirmed the committee’s determination to enforce compliance with its oversight mandate, saying public officers remained accountable to Nigerians through their elected representatives.
The committee also extended its summons to six Ministries, Departments and Agencies whose chief accounting officers have repeatedly failed to honour previous invitations.
Those directed to appear before the committee on Monday, 13 July 2026, are the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.
The committee directed the accounting officers of the agencies, as well as the permanent secretaries of the affected ministries, to appear in person.
Salam warned that lawmakers will not hesitate to deploy every constitutional and parliamentary instrument available to compel attendance by any public institution or official that ignored its invitations.
He said the committee remained committed to strengthening transparency, promoting accountability and ensuring the prudent management of public resources in line with its constitutional mandate.
