The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Nigeria Police Force have come under severe criticism for their consistent failure to address queries raised in the 2019 report by the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF). This criticism was voiced by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, which also reprimanded 12 other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for similar actions.
Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, Chairman of the Committee, expressed his frustration during a press briefing in Abuja, stating that the refusal of these agencies to respond to the queries despite multiple opportunities was detrimental to the federal government's goals under President Bola Tinubu. He emphasized that the Committee would report the non-compliant agencies to the Senate during plenary sessions.
Senator Aliyu highlighted that other agencies, including the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and several ministries, have similarly failed to respond to audit queries. He described their persistent refusal to engage as frustrating and a hindrance to the Committee's ability to fulfill its constitutional and legislative duties.
"The Committee has been working since October 2023 to review the audit report, but the deliberate non-compliance of these agencies is obstructing our progress," Senator Aliyu stated. He further explained that the Committee requires the presence of accounting officers at public hearings to respond to questions, which is crucial for making informed decisions on the audit matters.
This ongoing issue raises concerns about accountability within these public agencies and highlights the challenges faced by the Senate in ensuring proper oversight of government entities.
