WorldStage– The Nigerian Senate Committee on Public Accounts has threatened sanctions against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for failing to appear before it on the 2021-2023 NEITI audit report findings.
Chaired by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, the committee termed the failure of these agencies to attend hearings in Abuja as a contemptuous disregard for constitutional oversight.
The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were absent as the Senate Committee on Public Accounts commenced its special legislative oversight and public hearing.
The Senate issued a final ultimatum for the leadership of the defaulting bodies to appear by August 6, 2026, or face stringent action.
The committee said the agencies had been invited since July 9, with the hearing schedule also published in four national newspapers.
Lawmakers described the absence as a recurring trend, stressing that the National Assembly’s oversight powers are backed by the Constitution and its Standing Orders.
Dankwabo directed the committee secretariat to formally communicate members’ concerns and warned that appropriate sanctions could be invoked should the agencies fail to appear again.
The committee’s special legislative oversight and public hearing continues on Tuesday.
The Senate had invited the bodies to address financial queries, revenue discrepancies, and unremitted obligations highlighted in NEITI’s 2021-2023 oil and gas audit reports.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) initiated the probe to scrutinize revenue collection, investigate non-remittances, and ensure accountability within the extractive sector.
