Senate Slams Officials for Refusal to Address Audit Queries

The Nigerian Senate Committee on Public Accounts has condemned the actions of several government agencies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Nigeria Police Force, for their persistent refusal to respond to audit queries raised against them in the 2019 report.

According to Chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmed Aliyu (SDP Nasarawa West), several agencies have failed to honour invitations to defend their written responses to the audit queries, hindering the committee’s ability to effectively investigate and address financial discrepancies. Despite being offered multiple opportunities to do so, the affected agencies have chosen to disregard their invitations.

Aliyu warned that in the future, any agency that refuses to defend its queries will have them sustained and reported to the Senate plenary by the committee. He expressed frustration at the delays and negative actions taken by certain CEOs or accounting officers of the mentioned MDAs, stating that these individuals are expected to respond to parliamentary invitations and account for their actions.

The committee began consideration of the 2019 audit report in October, 2023, with the goal of presenting a report to the Senate plenary. However, their efforts have been hindered by the lack of cooperation from the affected agencies, hindering the committee’s ability to carry out its constitutional and legislative functions.

This impasse has led Aliyu to express disappointment at the impact these actions are having on the Nigerian government’s aspirations and goals under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, describing the situation as frustrating and detrimental.