The Senate committee on public account, has listed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, Nigerian Police Force, NPF, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, among MDAs which have refused to appear before the public account committee.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu (Nasarawa West), expressed dismay over the delay tactics and refusal of some MDAs to appear before the committee and tender account for the year ended 2019.
Aliyu, on Tuesday at a press briefing in Abuja, decried some agencies have willfully failed to honour invitations to defend their written responses to the audit queries as submitted to the Committee Secretariat.
According to Aliyu, 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.
He said, “the desire of the Public Accounts Committee to timely discharge its constitutional and legislative function is being delayed by the evasive and negative actions of some CEOs or accounting officers of the concerned MDAs.
“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.
“Section 62 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered, states The Senate or the House of Representatives may appoint a committee of its members for such special or general purpose as in its opinion would be better regulated and managed by means of such a committee, and may by resolution, regulation or otherwise, as it thinks fit, delegate any functions exercisable by it to any such committee.
“Provisions of Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Rule 95(5) of the Standing Orders of the Senate, 2023 (as amended) vest the Public Accounts Committee with the mandate of ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of the public accounts of the Federation.
“The Committee has powers to consider and inquire into the Report of the Auditor-General for the Federation on the Accounts of the Federation and to also embark on status inquiry on revenue generation ahd exoenditures oT the accounts of the Federation.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I have called you this afternoon as Core partners not only in our Committee’s proceedings but as constitutionally empowered workers/servants in the vineyard of constitutional democracy to express our concern and displeasure at the attitude of some MDAs and their CEOs towards Our invitations to defend the audit queries raised against them in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report for the Year ended 31st December, 2019.
“It is worthy to state that the Committee Commenced the consideration of the Audit Report in October, 2023, with a view to presenting its report.
“Beside the demand for submission of written responses to audit queries, part of the Committee’s rules of engagement requires that Accounting Officers attend the Committee’s Public Hearing to respond to questions arising from the analysis of their submissions which in turn forms a basis for informed decision on the matter by the Committee.
“This action by the concerned MDAs impacts on the Committee’s calendar and plan to submit its report to Senate Plenary.
“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 and any MDA that henceforth fails to honour invitations to respond and present its defense, the Committee will adopt the position of the Auditor.
“Also, this resolution would be added to our rules of engagement if MDAS fail to improve on their attendance to our invitations”.
MDAs evading appearance as listed by the Chairman includes, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (former DPR), Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment and FCT Internal Revenue Service.
Others include, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited.