The Senate Committee on Public Accounts lambasted the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and other agencies over their persistent refusal to respond to queries raised against them in the 2019 Audit report.
Chairman of the committee, Sen. Ahmed Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa West), who made this known while speaking to newsmen in Abuja, decried the attitude of the agencies for failing to respond to queries raised against them in the 2019 audit report.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Focus on Hard Work, Not Just Prosperity – Osinbajo Tells Nigerian Churches
- Olympics Best Basketball Coach: Tinubu Hails As D’Tigress’ Wakama On Award
- WAEC to Release May/June 2024 WASSCE Results Today
According to him, going forward, any agency that refused to honour an invitation to defend its queries would have its queries sustained and reported to the senate in plenary by the committee.
He said the attitude of the affected public agencies on persistent refusal to respond to queries against them in audit report was frustrating and detrimental to aspirations and goals of the President Bola Tinubu-led government .
He further said that apart from NNPCL, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Police, other heads of agencies involved in the habit of not honouring invitations include the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
Others, he said, were FCT Internal Revenue Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited etc.
He said: ”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 Plenary.
“However, some agencies have willfully failed to honour invitations to defend their written responses to the audit queries as submitted to the committee’s secretariat.
“Beside the demand for submission of written responses to audit queries, part of the committee’s rules of engagement requires that accounting officers attend its public hearing.
FURTHER READING
- Rwandan President, Paul Kagame Sworn in for Fourth Term
- Benue PDP Crisis: Sheath Your Swords -Ortom Urges Supporters
- BREAKING: Explosion Rocks APP Secretariat in Rivers
“This is to respond to questions arising from the analysis of their submissions which in turn, forms a basis for informed decision on the matter by the committee.
“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.”
Click here to watch our video of the week:
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611