By Anayo Akwitti
The Senate Public Accounts Committee has threatened sanctions against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) after the agencies failed to appear before its public hearing on the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit reports covering 2021 to 2023.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwabo (Gombe North), had opened a three-week investigative hearing to scrutinise issues raised in the NEITI reports on Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. However, proceedings suffered an early setback on Monday as none of the invited agencies, including NEITI itself, attended the session.
Angered by the absence of the agencies, the committee directed their managements to appear without fail on Thursday, August 6, warning that failure to honour the invitation would attract sanctions in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Senate Standing Orders.
Senator Dankwabo said the committee would not tolerate any action capable of undermining the oversight responsibilities of the National Assembly, stressing that the affected agencies must account for issues raised in the audit reports.
Backing the chairman’s position, Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North West) urged the committee to invoke its constitutional powers, arguing that refusing to appear before a duly constituted Senate committee amounted to a disregard for both the legislature and the Nigerian people.
“The institutional integrity of the Senate is being undermined. Drastic measures need to be taken in line with our rules,” Hussaini said.
Also speaking, Senator Patrick Ndubueze (Imo North) opposed giving the agencies another opportunity, noting that none of them wrote to explain their absence or sent representatives to the hearing.
The committee, however, resolved to continue its investigation, with the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and other invited agencies expected to appear at subsequent sessions.
