The Nigerian Senate has issued a strong ultimatum to several top government agencies, warning that failure to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) over audit queries will result in warrants of arrest and possible removal from office.
At a heated press briefing on Tuesday, SPAC Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed (SDP, Nasarawa West), expressed outrage at the continued defiance of key agencies, including, Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
Others are the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT)
According to Senator Wadada, some of these agencies have ignored multiple invitations, with FIRS alone snubbing eight official requests to appear before the committee.
“If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite his busy schedule, can appear before the National Assembly to present the budget, no appointee is too big to be held accountable,” he said.
Wadada warned that the Senate will no longer tolerate this blatant disregard for oversight, stating:
“The next invitation they ignore will trigger immediate action—warrants of arrest will be issued, and we will call on President Tinubu to remove them from office.”
Beyond legal actions, the Senate is also planning to expose financial mismanagement by these agencies by publishing their audit queries in major national newspapers.
“If these officials think they can evade accountability, we will take their records to the public. Nigerians deserve to know how their resources are being managed,” Wadada added.
The Senate insisted it will deploy all constitutional powers to enforce compliance, stressing that no official is above the law.
With the next round of summons expected soon, the fate of these defiant agencies now hangs in the balance—cooperate with the Senate or face the full weight of legislative power.