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The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and other government agencies to appear before it over unresolved audit queries.
The directive was issued on Monday after representatives of the invited agencies failed to honour the committee’s invitation and provided no formal explanation for their absence.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, said the invitations formed part of the panel’s constitutional oversight responsibilities and efforts to address pending audit issues efficiently.
“We wanted to reduce the volume of work to enhance our oversight. The letters and invitations were issued, but our guests have not arrived,” he said.
Committee member Senator Babangida Hussaini described the agencies’ absence as disrespectful to the National Assembly, insisting that the Senate should not be taken for granted.
He urged the committee to take firm action against defaulting agencies, stressing that they were obliged to respond to audit queries.
Senator Patrick Ndubueze also called for sanctions, arguing that the agencies did not deserve another opportunity after ignoring the invitations without any explanation.
After deliberations, the committee gave the agencies a final 72-hour deadline to appear on August 6, warning that failure to comply could attract further legislative action.
