By Seun Ibiyemi
The Senate has threatened to invoke its constitutional powers against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other defaulting agencies after they failed to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee investigating billions of naira in oil and gas revenues.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), expressed outrage over the absence of the agencies at the commencement of its investigation into the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Oil and Gas Industry Audit Reports.
Lawmakers described the no-show as a blatant disregard for the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight responsibilities and an affront to Nigerians demanding greater transparency in the management of public resources.
The investigation is expected to examine oil sector revenues, remittances to the Federation Account, royalty payments, statutory obligations and regulatory compliance involving more than 60 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), regulators, government-owned enterprises and oil companies.
Despite formal invitations, public notices and weeks of advance notification, none of the invited agencies appeared before the committee, forcing lawmakers to suspend proceedings after waiting for more than an hour.
Committee members accused the agencies of undermining legislative oversight and weakening accountability in Nigeria’s strategic oil and gas sector.
Senator Babangida Hussaini described the repeated failure of government agencies to honour Senate invitations as a “recurring decimal,” warning that such conduct erodes public confidence in democratic institutions.
He stressed that the committee’s investigative powers are backed by the Constitution and the Senate Standing Orders, making compliance with its summons mandatory.
Hussaini lamented that senators suspended their annual recess and constituency engagements to attend the hearing, only for the invited agencies to neither appear nor send representatives or explanations.
“If the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria can summon heads of agencies and they fail to appear without consequences, it sends the wrong message about accountability in government,” he said.
Similarly, Senator Francis Ndubueze criticised the agencies for failing to communicate with the committee, noting that no letters of explanation were submitted and no officials were delegated to attend the session.
Following deliberations, the committee resolved to give the affected agencies one final opportunity to appear before it on Thursday, August 6, 2026, warning that failure to comply could trigger constitutional measures to compel their attendance.
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Meanwhile, the Federal Government has introduced stricter fiscal controls by prohibiting Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from awarding contracts, signing agreements or incurring financial obligations without approved expenditure warrants and cash backing.
The directive, contained in a Federal Treasury Circular dated July 31, 2026, was signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, and circulated to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of agencies, service chiefs and other federal institutions.
Under the new guidelines, MDAs are barred from issuing contract awards or entering into financial commitments unless they first obtain the appropriate Warrant or Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) covering the full contract value or the portion being committed.
The government said the measure is aimed at strengthening fiscal discipline, preventing the award of unfunded contracts and ensuring that public spending aligns with available financial resources.
