The Senate Committee on Public
Accounts has said its desire to timely discharge constitutional and legislative function is being delayed by the evasive and negative
actions of some CEOs and accounting officers of MDAs.
Specifically, the committee expressed displeasure with the attitude of foot dragging by agencies who are by law expected to respond to parliamentary invitations and account for their actions.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Aliyu Wadada made the disclosure on Tuesday, while briefing newsmen on the activities of the committee with regards to the consideration of the Auditor General’s annual report on the accounts of the federation for the year ended 31st December, 2019.
Indeed, Wadada cited the recalcitrant agencies to include, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL),
Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (former
DPR).
Nigeria Police Force,
Federal Ministry of Industries. Trade & Investment, FCT Internal Revenue Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs among others.
Consequently, he said the committee have resolved that going forward, it 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”.
He continued “also, this resolution would be added to our rules of engagement if MDAS fail to improve on their attendance to our invitations”.
He explained that “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.
Senator Wadada emphasised that 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 and expenditures of the accounts of the Federation.
