Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo
A major Senate investigation into Nigeria’s oil and gas revenues suffered an immediate setback on Monday after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and several other government agencies failed to honour summons issued by the Senate Public Accounts Committee.
The development sparked outrage among lawmakers, who warned that defaulting agencies could face constitutional sanctions for frustrating a probe expected to uncover revenue leakages and determine whether billions of naira due to the Federation Account were properly remitted.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), had convened the hearing to commence an investigation into the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Oil and Gas Industry Audit Reports.
The exercise is designed to scrutinise revenue collections, royalty payments, taxes, statutory remittances, production figures and financial compliance across more than 60 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), regulatory bodies, government-owned enterprises and oil companies.
However, despite receiving formal invitations and public notices issued ahead of the hearing, many of the invited agencies failed to appear, forcing the committee to suspend proceedings after waiting for over an hour.
An angry Senator Babangida Hussaini described the agencies’ absence as a disturbing pattern that weakens parliamentary oversight and undermines public confidence in democratic institutions.
He stressed that Senate invitations are backed by the Constitution and are not optional, lamenting that lawmakers had cut short their annual recess and travelled from across the country only to be ignored by agencies expected to account for public funds.
Senator Francis Ndubueze also criticised the agencies for failing to send representatives or even communicate reasons for their absence, describing the action as disrespectful to the National Assembly.
Following the deliberations, the committee resolved to issue a final summons, directing all defaulting agencies to appear on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
It warned that failure to comply with the fresh invitation would compel the Senate to invoke its constitutional powers to enforce attendance.
The committee noted that the investigation is being conducted under Sections 85(5), 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Order 95(5)(d) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026.
The NEITI audit reports under review contain detailed records of oil and gas revenues, taxes, royalties, production volumes, statutory payments and remittances by operators, with the Senate seeking to determine whether public revenues were fully accounted for and whether any infractions require legislative or prosecutorial action.
Among those expected to appear before the committee are the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), NEITI, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Finance and several indigenous and multinational oil companies.
With the opening hearing ending in a boycott by key agencies, lawmakers signalled that Thursday’s session could determine whether the Senate escalates the matter by deploying its constitutional enforcement powers against defaulting public institutions.