Federal agencies and parastatals have again ignored the ultimatum of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts issued to them to submit their audited accounts.
The Committee led by Senator representing Edo South, Matthew Urhoghide, had last week issued the ultimatum to about twenty-five agencies of the federal government.
The Senate Committee in reading the riot act, expressed concern that the Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDA failed to disclose their financial transactions, which it noted was a breach of the Constitution.
Findings revealed that the affected institutions and agencies include, the apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS), the Niger-Delta Development Commission(NDDC) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration(FCTA).
Other defaulting agencies include, National Agency for Science and Engineering and Infrastructure (NASENI), Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency(FERMA),National Space Research and Development Agency, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute and the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency(NIMASA).
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Also mentioned by Senator Urhoghide were Petroleum Equalization Fund, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Presidential Amnesty Programme and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company(NPDC).
Others are Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Railway Corporation, and National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Senator Urhoghide, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen, insisted that his Committee would not relent in bringing the agencies to account in line with its statutory oversight mandate.
His statement read in part: “Recall that on 20th November, 2019, the Senate Public Accounts Committee called a press conference to draw the attention of some agencies of government numbering 25 about their failure to submit relevant documents on their income and expenditure for its oversight functions. The agencies were given 7 days to send their responses to the Committee.
“Despite the lapse of time, some agencies have refused to respond to the Committee. The Committee in carrying out its oversight functions will not relent in ensuring that the agencies are called to account for their stewardship in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, Senate Standing Orders and extant Acts.
“It is necessary for these agencies to note that they must comply with the directive of the Committee in the overall public interest.”
and then