Reps summon Minister, SON mgt over six years unaudited financial

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Account on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Industry, Trade and investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo and the Management of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to appear on Friday over the none remittance of the Agency’s audited financial accounts to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation from 2014 to date.

The Committee made the resolution following the adoption of a motion by Rep. Fredrick Agbedi over the refusal of the management of the SON to honour several invitations to appear before it on why it had failed to render its audited accounts from 2014 to 2019 as required by law.

The Chairman of the committee, Rep. Wole Oke said that the Committee was giving SON a final opportunity to answer audit queries and defend its none rendition of accounts for some financial years under review.

Oke ruled that both the Minister and the management of the Agency were to appear unfailingly on Friday by 11 am or the committee would be forced to invoke the relevant sections of the law.

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According to him, “SON has refused to render account and even to appear before the committee for an investigation bothering on none rendition of account

“This Agency has repeatedly refused to appear before this parliament; we do not believe that SON is bigger than the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or above the law of the land

“If they have nothing to hide, they should appear and tell us why they have refused to render account to the Auditor General of the Federation

” By this singular action, SON is holding the Auditor General of the federation hostage by not rendering accounts, this is not acceptable to the parliament.

Hon Oke explained that the committee had referrals from the green chambers to investigate issues bothering on none rendition of accounts by none treasury funded agencies.

He lamented that SON had been invited severally and the management had continued to dodge without explanations.

 

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