By Fatima Saka
The Nigerian Senate has vowed to issue arrest warrants and impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other agencies over their failure to account for N6 trillion in Ways and Means expenditures.
Following the amid a continued refusal by several government agencies to honor Senate invitations.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Wadada, on Tuesday, warned that the committee would not hesitate to take action against agencies that repeatedly ignore summons.
Among the agencies listed were the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and the CBN, among others.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Senator Wadada also threatened to push for the removal of agency heads who persistently refuse to appear before the committee. He emphasized that such actions undermine the working relationship between the legislative and executive arms of government and could be seen as an attempt to sabotage President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
FIRS Chairman Risks Arrest
Wadada specifically criticized FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji, revealing that Adedeji had ignored eight different invitations and failed to respond to several official communications.
In addition to the FIRS, he mentioned that the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited have all disregarded the committee’s invitations at least nine times in the past.
“If the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, can make time to present the national budget before the National Assembly, I wonder how any appointee would think they are above the law or too busy to honor a Senate invitation,” Wadada stated.
Senate to Take Tougher Measures
The senator issued a stern warning:
> “Whoever refuses to appear before this important committee will face a warrant of arrest, and we will call on the President to disengage them from office, as they do not share his vision for a better Nigeria.”
He further stressed that the FIRS Chairman, NNPCL leadership, CBN Governor, Comptroller-General of Customs, and other non-compliant agency heads would be held accountable.
“The line is drawn. If NNPCL fails to honor the next invitation, a warrant of arrest will be issued. The same applies to the CBN Governor and others,” he added.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing accountability and transparency, stressing that government agencies are not above the law.
