The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has issued a one-week deadline to three government agencies — the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC), and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) — to present themselves and address unanswered audit queries. This action follows their absence from a scheduled hearing held on Tuesday in Abuja.
During the session, the committee’s secretary informed the chairman, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, that a letter had been received from the Bank of Agriculture, signed by its legal adviser. In the letter, the bank argued that it had already appeared before the committee multiple times between February 2023 and November 2024, and that all previous concerns had been settled with both the committee and relevant government bodies. It requested details of any outstanding issues and asked for at least two weeks to gather necessary documents.
Senator Dankwambo rejected the letter, pointing out that it was not signed by the Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer. He emphasized that all official communications regarding committee invitations must bear the personal signature of the agency’s head. He also criticized the bank for failing to send its Managing Director to the hearing despite being summoned to explain unresolved audit matters.
The committee dismissed the request for a two-week extension, insisting that agencies cannot dictate timelines for legislative oversight. Members unanimously resolved that the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture must appear in person within seven days. They asserted that the bank’s claims of resolved issues were inaccurate, as previous audit concerns remain outstanding.
Furthermore, the committee warned that any future correspondence signed by lower-ranking officials rather than chief executives would be disregarded. The absence of NSPMC and REA was also deemed unacceptable, and both agencies were given a final seven-day window to comply.
Several lawmakers expressed concern over a perceived trend of disregard for legislative summons by government bodies. They stressed that audit queries are serious accountability matters that demand prompt responses and should not be ignored. The committee reiterated that its actions are based on reports submitted through constitutional processes and fall within its statutory mandate. Agencies that fail to honor the final notice will face sanctions as provided by law.
Chairman Dankwambo announced that strong letters would be dispatched immediately to the defaulting agencies, detailing the unresolved issues. He warned that failure to appear within one week could result in penalties for obstructing legislative oversight.