Senate President Godswill Akpabio has raised concerns over the increasing disregard for legislative summons by government officials and institutions,
Akpabio spoke through Senator Abdul Ningi at the National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance, jointly organised by the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of the Senate and House of Representatives, where he urged PACs to assert their constitutional mandates under sections 80, 81, and 88 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The PACs possess the authority to summon any official to account for public expenditure. Any refusal to appear is an affront to democratic principles and a violation of the rule of law,” Akpabio said.
He criticized the rising trend of non-compliance among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and urged PACs to reassert their oversight powers through rigorous investigations and performance-based expenditure reviews.
Akpabio called for enhanced technical support and the deployment of digital tools to strengthen legislative oversight, particularly in complex entities like the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
“This conference should not end in words alone; it must provide lawmakers with actionable strategies to reinforce fiscal accountability,” he added.
Meanwhile Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen has expressed concern over Nigeria’s weak audit enforcement mechanisms, revealing that public audit queries amounting to over N300 billion remain unaddressed.
Abbas represented by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, said the persistent disregard for audit recommendations must be halted. According to him, financial infractions should have consequences.
He emphasized that the 10th House has adopted a more proactive posture by introducing real-time tracking mechanisms, follow-up systems and audit digitization to ensure MDAs comply with financial regulations.
“Fiscal oversight is no longer a ceremonial process, it is a strategic instrument for national growth,” Abbas noted, adding that the House is working to make audit reports more accessible and comprehensible to the general public.
He also advocated for a harmonized national audit system to ensure fiscal discipline across all tiers of government and called for consistent monitoring of budget performance beyond appropriation stages.
“We are embedding a culture of performance-based reviews, sectoral audits, and impact assessments,” he stated.
