The Senate Committee on Public Accounts
has raised alarm over the uncooperating attitude of Some Chief EXecutive Officers and Accounting Officers.
Briefing journalists in Abuja, on Tuesday, the chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, noted that section 62 (1) of the 1999 constitution mandate of ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of the public accounts of
the Federation.
“Section 62 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria as altered, states The Senate or the House of Representatives may appoint a committee of its members for
such special or general purpose as in its opinion would be better
regulated and managed by means of such a committee, and may
by resolution, regulation or otherwise, as it thinks fit, delegate any
functions exercisable by it to any such committee.
The committee said is not in doubt of the commitment of the present administration under the Steward of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make Nigeria better, but with the attitude of the chief Executives that will not be will not be achievable unless the needful is done.
“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.
According to Wadada, 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 expenditure of the accounts of the Federation.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, | have called you this
afternoon as Core partners not only in our Committee’s
proceedings but as constitutionally empowered workers/servants
in the vineyard of constitutional democracy to express our concern and displeasure at the attitude of some MDAs and their
CEOs towards Our invitations to defend the audit queries raised against them in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report for the Year ended 31st December, 2019.
“It is worthy to state that the Committee Commenced the consideration of the Audit Report in October, 2023, with a view to
presenting its report to the plon However, some agencies have willfully failed to honour invitations to defend their written
responses to the audit queries as submitted to the Committee
Secretariat.
He noted that beside the demand for submission of written responses to audit
queries, part of the Committee’s rules of engagement requires that Accounting Officers attend the Committee’s Public Hearing to respond to questions arising from the analysis of their submissions.
The Nasarawa lawmaker also noted that the desire of the Public
Accounts Committee to timely discharge its constitutional and
legislative function is being delayed by the evasive and negative actions of some CEOs and accounting officers of the concerned
MDAs.
“The Committee is very displeased with the attitude of foot dragging by agencies who are by law expected to respond to
parliamentary invitations and account for their actions.
Wadada said the Committee has Over time, extended invitations to those agencies providing them ample opportunities
to defend their queries but for reasons best known to them, the agencies have chosen to dIsregard invitations.
“This action by the concerned MDAs impacts on the Committee’s calendar and plans to submit its report to Senate Plenary.
The concerned recalcitrant
agencies include:
Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office.
Federal Inland Revenue Service
Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (former
DPR)
Nigeria Police Force
Federal Ministry of Industrv. Trade & Investment
FCT Internal Revenue Service.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Nigeria Immigration Service
Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
Ministry of Defence.
Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited among others.
The Committee however resolved that 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 general.
Hmmm toothless budogs