(SINL NIGERIA) Worried by continuous refusal to honour invitation by some government agencies, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, on Tuesday said it will not hesitate to issue warrant of arrests against recalcitrant agencies.
The committee listed the Federal Inland Revenue Service ( FIRS), the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited ( NNPCL), the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) among others.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Chairman of the committee, Senator Aliyu Wadada threatened that steps would be taken for the removal from offices, affected heads of agencies if they continue to ignore invitation by the committee.
Indeed, the lawmaker emphasized that the agencies would be reported to President Bola Tinubu by the Senate that they are causing disharmony between the legislative and executive arms of government and by extension, sabotaging his renewed hope agenda.
Specifically, Wadada observed that the Chairman of FIRS, Zacch Adedeji, had reportedly ignored eight different invitations sent to him and even refused to respond to several communications forwarded to him.
Additionally, Wadada listed the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission ( NUPRC), Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited among agencies that have in the past ignored invitations of the committee for nine times.
According to Wadada “if the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinibu, will set aside his busy responsibilities to come to the National Assembly to present budget, I wonder how any appointee will think and feel that he is above the law or he is too busy.
”Whoever invitation is extended to and he or she refuses to appear before this all important committee, warrant of arrest will be issued and we will call on the president to disengage that person because the person does not share in the dreams of Mr. President for making Nigeria a better place.
”From the inception of this committee to date, more than eight invitations have been extended to the chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service who has intentionally refused to appear before this committee and also hasn’t been responding to communications at all from this committee.
“From this moment, the line is drawn between this committee and Federal Inland Revenue Service whose Chairman , risks a warrant of arrest if he ignores the next invitation for appearance.
”For NNPCL as well, the line is drawn. The next invitation NNPCL does not honour , would attract warrant of arrest as well as call on President Tinubu to do the needful on the recalcitrant appointee .
“Similar fate awaits the Comptroller – General of Nigeria Customs Service , the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and heads of other agencies earlier mentioned.
“We are here on the mandate of Nigeria” he added.
