The Senate has raised concerns over billions of naira missing from the federal government’s coffers, accusing key revenue-generating agencies of ignoring its summons.
Lawmakers expressed anger at these agencies for defying invitations to answer queries raised by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAGF) regarding financial transactions.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West), stressed that these unaccounted funds are vital for national development. He emphasized the need for accountability, citing legislative provisions that empower the Senate to investigate financial irregularities.
According to Wadada, the Auditor General’s report exposed significant financial mismanagement, adding that a responsible parliament must conduct public investigations. He criticized agencies for conspiring to evade scrutiny, warning that their refusal to appear before Senate committees undermines accountability.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) were named among the top defaulters. Wadada warned that if these agencies continue to ignore the Senate’s invitations, their heads will be reported to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after one final opportunity.
Flanked at the briefing by all members of the Committee, Wadada said: “All efforts to get Nigerian Customs Service to the table to know how did this happen, what is the way forward. We are still where we were from the day before yesterday to now.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria, I have a course on one of the issues that I’ve got to do with Central Bank of Nigeria, I have a course to take it on the floor of the Senate.
“It is important for Nigerians to know, under the so-called Ways and Means. What happened under Ways and Means why Central Bank of Nigeria, debited borrower and credited borrower.
“Central Bank of Nigeria, debited consolidated revenue funds account and credited treasury single account. Which amounted to over 30 trillion.
“Consolidated revenue funds account is government’s account. And the TSA is also the government’s account. And in charging the interest, instead of the interest to be charged to the treasury account, they went again ahead to charge the Treasury account.
“They went again ahead to Treasury account. charge Consolidated Revenue Funds account which now have amounted to over 6 trillion.”
According to him, there was correspondences between the Committee and Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Debt Management Office, DMO because of the faulty documents which they were not ready to answer to and have been evasive, adding that the report of the Auditor General for the Federation which the affected agencies are running away from covers 2019 till date.
The Committee Chairman revealed that Nigeria Satellite Communications Limited had been invited nine times but failed to appear, while the Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, among others, also ignored the Senate’s summons.
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