Audit Report: Senators fume as NNPC, FIRS, police, others refuse to explain illegal spending

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has said some ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government have yet to provide explanations on observations raised against their financial records in the 2019 audit report.

Chairman of the Committee, Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West), disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday.

Mr Wadada said the agencies refused to make the clarifications despite several attempts by the committee to compel them to do so.

He listed Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Immigration Service as some of the affected agencies.

Others are Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment, FCT Internal Revene, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited amongst others .

Mr Wadada stressed that if the agencies persist , the committee would conclude that they are guilty of the infractions observed in the audit report.

“It is on this note that we as a Committee have resolved that going forward, the Senate Public Accounts Committee will go ahead to consider their audit queries as contained in the Auditor-General Annual’s Report and any MDA that henceforth fails to honour invitations to respond and present its defence, the Committee will adopt the position of the Auditor.

“Also, this resolution would be added to our rules of engagement if MDAs fail to improve on their attendance to our invitations”.

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Displeased attitude

The committee chairman expressed displeasure with the attitudes of the agencies despite several invitations.

“The Committee is very displeased with the attitude of foot dragging by agencies who are by law, expected to respond to parliamentary invitations and account for their actions.

“The committee has over time extended invitations to those agencies providing them ample opportunities to defend their queries but for reasons best known to them, these agencies have chosen to disregard invitations,” Mr Wadada stated.