Nigeria’s Senate has expressed outrage after key government agencies failed to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee investigating billions of naira in oil and gas revenues, a move lawmakers described as a challenge to the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight powers.
The agencies that failed to honour the summons include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Their absence forced the committee to suspend its inaugural hearing into the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) oil and gas audit reports after waiting for more than an hour.
Chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), the committee is leading a wide-ranging investigation into oil sector revenues, royalty payments, remittances to the Federation Account and regulatory compliance involving more than 60 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), government-owned enterprises and oil companies.
Lawmakers condemned the absence of the agencies despite formal invitations, public notices and weeks of advance notification. They argued that the failure to appear undermines transparency efforts in one of Nigeria’s most critical economic sectors.
Senator Babangida Hussaini described the repeated disregard for Senate invitations by government agencies as unacceptable, warning that such actions weaken public confidence in democratic institutions. He stressed that the committee’s investigative powers are backed by the Constitution and the Senate Standing Orders, making compliance with its summons a legal obligation.
Echoing the concerns, Senator Francis Ndubueze criticised the defaulting agencies for failing to send representatives or even provide explanations for their absence. He maintained that protecting the integrity of the National Assembly requires strict enforcement of its oversight powers.
Following deliberations, the committee resolved to give the affected agencies a final opportunity to appear on Thursday, August 6, 2026. It warned that failure to honour the new invitation could prompt the Senate to invoke its constitutional powers to compel compliance.
FG Tightens Spending Controls for MDAs
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has introduced stricter financial controls by prohibiting Ministries, Departments and Agencies from awarding contracts, signing agreements or committing public funds without approved expenditure warrants and cash backing.
The directive, contained in a Federal Treasury Circular dated July 31, 2026, was signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, and circulated to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of MDAs, service chiefs, the CBN Governor and other federal institutions.
Under the new rules, no MDA is permitted to award contracts, sign agreements or incur financial obligations unless it has first obtained the appropriate Warrant or Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) covering the contract value or the portion being committed.
The government said the measure is designed to strengthen fiscal discipline, eliminate unfunded contracts and ensure that public spending aligns with available resources in the implementation of the 2026 capital budget.
