The FIRS having repeatedly ignored invitations, now faces the threat of arrest warrants from both chambers of the National Assembly.
In a bold move to enforce accountability, the Senate, through its Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), has issued a final warning to top government officials who have repeatedly ignored invitations to clarify audit queries.
The committee is now considering issuing warrants of arrest against the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji; the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL); the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); and other agency heads accused of disregarding legislative oversight.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Sen. Aliyu Wadada Ahmed (SDP, Nasarawa West) during a press briefing on Tuesday at the National Assembly.
Wadada expressed frustration over what he described as a blatant disregard for legislative authority. He warned that officials who continue to snub Senate invitations will not only face arrest but could also be recommended for removal from office.
Parliament Reports had earlier reported that the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Compliance had last week issued summons to some agencies over the consistent disregard to legislative resolutions and invitations. Among the agencies summoned was also the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which Wadada claimed had ignored his committee’s invitations at least eight times and failed to acknowledge multiple communications from them.
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Other agencies allegedly engaging in similar defiance include the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat), which, according to the senator, has ignored committee invitations nine times.
He stressed that the heads of the agencies will be reported to President Bola Tinubu by the Senate over the continuous act of causing disharmony between the legislative and executive arms of government and by extension, sabotaging his renewed hope agenda.
He said, “If the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will set aside his busy responsibilities to come to the National Assembly to present the budget, I wonder how any appointee will think and feel that he is above the law or he is too busy.
“Whoever invitation is extended to and he or she refuses to appear before this all important committee, warrant of arrest will be issued and we will call on the president to disengage that person because the person does not share in the dreams of Mr. President for making Nigeria a better place.
“From the inception of this committee to date, more than eight invitations have been extended to the chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service who has intentionally refused to appear before this committee and also hasn’t been responding to communications at all from this committee.
“From this moment, the line is drawn between this committee and Federal Inland Revenue Service whose chairman risks a warrant of arrest if he ignores the next invitation for appearance.
“For NNPCL as well, the line is drawn. The next invitation NNPCL does not honour, would attract a warrant of arrest as well as call on President Tinubu to do the needful on the recalcitrant appointee.
“Similar fate awaits the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and heads of other agencies earlier mentioned.
“Instruments and instrumentality of governance available to us by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will surely be deployed against the affected heads of agencies,” he stressed.
STAR Check: Nigerians, particularly, constituents of Ebonyi North district, can keep tabs on the legislative performance of Sen. Wadada throughout the 10th senate here.
