At the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum given to them by the Senate to submit their audited accounts, eighteen out of the twenty-five agencies of government have neither presented them nor written to explain the rationale for the nonsubmission.
Against this backdrop, yesterday issued another strong warning to these agencies of government to make available to it the reports in the overall interest of the country or would be brought to Public Arena.
In a statement signed yesterday by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Edo South once again read a riot act to Ministries, Departments, Agencies; MDA that have failed to disclose their financial transactions as stipulated by the Constitution.
According to Urhoghide, agencies like the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and the Niger-Delta Development Commission(NDDC) failed to honour the seven-day Ultimatum given to them to forward to the Committee, their audited accounts.
He listed other defaulting agencies to include: the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Federal Capital Territory Administration,
Others are 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, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.(NIMASA), Petroleum Equalization Fund, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Presidential Amnesty Programmé, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company,(NPDC).
Others are the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Railway Corporation, and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Urhoghide said, “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.”
Source: Channels TV
