The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has issued a 72-hour deadline to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and other agencies that failed to appear before it over pending audit queries.
The committee’s public hearing, which was scheduled to review NEITI’s audit reports on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry for 2021, 2022 and 2023, could not proceed as planned after several key agencies failed to attend the opening session without formally explaining their absence.
The hearing is aimed at examining issues relating to revenues, remittances, financial obligations and operational activities across the country’s extractive sector, while also assessing compliance with relevant laws and financial regulations.
Committee Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, expressed disappointment over the absence of the invited agencies, noting that invitations had been sent in advance and public notices were also published. He said the exercise was organised to clear outstanding audit issues and strengthen the National Assembly’s oversight responsibilities.
Members of the committee described the agencies’ failure to appear as a disregard for the Senate and the Nigerian public.
Senator Babangida Hussaini said lawmakers had interrupted their recess and constituency engagements to attend the hearing, adding that the continued absence of the invited agencies undermines the credibility of the legislature.
Similarly, Senator Patrick Ndubueze argued that agencies responsible for managing public resources should not ignore invitations from the Senate without any explanation, calling for appropriate constitutional measures if such conduct continues.
Senator Nasiru Zangon-Daura also criticised the agencies for failing to communicate with the committee, saying the lack of any official notification reflected poorly on accountability within public institutions.
Following deliberations, the committee resolved to reschedule the appearance of the affected agencies for Thursday, August 6, 2026, giving them a final 72-hour window to appear.
Dankwambo warned that agencies that fail to honour the new date could face sanctions under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Senate Standing Orders.
The committee also directed its secretariat to formally notify the defaulting agencies of the decision and remind them of the consequences of any further failure to appear.
Meanwhile, the public hearing is expected to continue with other invited institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and other stakeholders.
