The Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), on Tuesday, berated the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPCL), Federal Inland Income Service (FIRS), Nigeria Police Drive (NPF) and 12 different MDAs for what it referred to as their persistent refusal to reply to queries raised in opposition to them within the 2019 report of the Workplace of Auditor-Basic of the Federation (OAuGF).
Expressing the displeasure of the Senate to journalists, chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu (SDP, Nasarawa West), stated for the reason that heads of the affected ministries, departments and companies of presidency (MDAs) refused to reply to queries raised in opposition to them within the 2019 audit report after a number of alternatives provided them to take action, any company that refuses to honour invitation to defend its queries going ahead can have its queries sustained and reported to the Senate at plenary by the committee.
He added that the perspective of the affected companies in responding to queries in opposition to them within the 2019 audit report was irritating and detrimental to aspirations and objectives of President Bola Tinubu-led federal authorities.
Based on him, other than NNPCL, FIRS and the Police, different heads of companies concerned within the behavior of not honouring thr legislative committee’s invites to reply to queries in opposition to them had been the Workplace of the Accountant Basic of the Federation, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Workplace, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee (NUPRC) and Federal Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Funding.
Different MDAs indicted included FCT Inner Income Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Ministry of Ladies Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Nigeria Communications Satellite tv for pc Restricted, amongst others.
Wadada stated: “It’s worthy to state that the Committee commenced the consideration of the Audit Report in October, 2023, with a view to presenting its report back to the plenary.
“Nevertheless, some companies have willfully didn’t honour invites to defend their written responses to the audit queries as submitted to the Committee Secretariat.
“Moreover the demand for submission of written responses to audit queries, a part of the Committee’s guidelines of engagement requires that Accounting Officers attend the Committee’s Public Listening to to reply to questions arising from the evaluation of their submissions which in flip kinds a foundation for knowledgeable determination on the matter by the Committee.
“The will of the Public Accounts Committee to well timed discharge its constitutional and legislative operate is being affected by the evasive and unfavorable actions of some CEOs or accounting officers of the involved MDAs.
“The Committee may be very displeased with the perspective of foot-dragging by companies who’re by legislation, anticipated to reply to parliamentary invites and account for his or her actions.
“The Committee has, over time, prolonged invites to these companies, offering them ample alternatives to defend their queries however for causes greatest recognized to them, these companies have chosen to ignore invites.
“It’s on this be aware that we as a Committee has resolved that going ahead, the Senate Public Accounts Committee will go forward to think about their audit queries as contained within the Auditor-Basic Annual’s Report and any MDA that henceforth fails to honour invites to reply and current its protection, the Committee will undertake the place of the Auditor.
“Additionally, this decision can be added to our guidelines of engagement if MDAs fail to enhance on their attendance to our invites.”
The SPAC chairman, nevertheless, acknowledged that the “Committee just isn’t doubtful of the dedication of the current administration underneath the stewardship of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make Nigeria higher however with the perspective of the aforementioned Chief Executives, that won’t be achievable until and till all of us do the needful.”
