*Appear or face arrest, Wadada tells defaulting agencies* Akpabio reshuffles committees, promises prompt transmission of 2025 budget* Reps mourn, adjourn plenary over lawmaker’s death.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
As the National Assembly resumed plenary yesterday from their Yuletide recess to put the final touches to the 2025 budget and expedite action towards passage of the tax reform bills, the Senate has issued a strong ultimatum to several top government agencies, warning that failure to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) over audit queries will result in warrants of arrest and possible removal from office.
Following its first sitting of 2025 on January 14, both chambers adjourned until January 28, to allow various committees to conclude work on the defence of the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the parliament by President Bola Tinubu on December 18, 2024. However, the resumption was postponed to February 4, to allow committees sufficient time to complete ongoing engagements with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on the 2025 budget.
At a heated briefing yesterday, SPAC Chairman, Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West), expressed outrage at the continued defiance of key agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman, Zacch Adedeji; Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Others are the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), FCT Internal Revenue Service and the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT).
According to Wadada, some of these agencies have ignored multiple invitations, dodging audit queries raised by the Auditor General for the Federation (AuGF) in his Annual Audit Reports, with FIRS alone snubbing eight official requests to appear before the committee.
“If President Bola Tinubu, despite his busy schedule, can appear before the National Assembly to present the budget, no appointee is too big to be held accountable,” he said.
Wadada warned that the Senate will no longer tolerate this blatant disregard for oversight, stating: “The next invitation they ignore will trigger immediate action—warrants of arrest will be issued, and we will call on President Tinubu to remove them from office.”
Beyond legal actions, the Senate is also planning to expose financial mismanagement by these agencies by publishing their audit queries in major national newspapers.
“If these officials think they can evade accountability, we will take their records to the public. Nigerians deserve to know how their resources are being managed,” Wadada added.
This is as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has assured that the 2025 budget will be transmitted to President Tinubu as soon as possible, emphasising the Senate’s commitment to ensuring a seamless budgetary process.
Speaking during Tuesday’s plenary, Akpabio praised senators for their diligence in scrutinizing the budget, noting that their efforts will result in a practical financial plan for Nigeria. He also commended lawmakers for extending the capital provisions of the 2024 budget to June 2025 to prevent government operations from stalling, reiterating that efforts are underway to transmit the 2025 budget to the President promptly.
Akpabio noted: “I thank you for your foresight in extending the capital provisions of the 2024 budget to June so that government business does not grind to a halt as the Constitution allows Mr President to undertake the current expenses in the 2025 budget even for the next few months up to June this year. But we will get the budget across to him as soon as possible.”
IN a related development, Akpabio announced a reshuffling of the leadership of some Senate standing committees. In the exercise, some senators were reassigned to head other committees while others were appointed to head the new committees established to enhance regional development. There were 72 standing committees in the Senate until now.
Akpabio said the Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) will now be led by Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central). Ningi was the chairman of the Committee on Committee on National Identity and National Population before his suspension last year over an allegation of budget padding against the Senate leadership. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) was removed as chairman of the Committee on Local Content and named chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations. Joel Ewomazino (PDP, Delta South) was appointed chairman of the Committee on Local Content.
Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) was moved from the Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations Committee to the Committee on National Identity and National Population as its chairman. Garba Maidoki (APC, Kebbi South) was named chairman of the Committee on Sports.
With the establishment of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), the committee to oversight the commission will be chaired by Hussaini Babanjida (APC, Jigawa Northwest) with Mohammed Dandutse (APC, Katsina South) as the vice chairman.
The newly established Committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC) will be led by Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North) and assisted by Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North). Another new committee was set up to oversee the North Central Development Commission (NVDC) and would be chaired by Titus Zam (APC, Benue North-west).
The reshuffle is perceived to be in response to concerns over ineffective leadership of some of the committees, particularly regarding oversight functions.
Last December before the Senate went on recess, Akpabio expressed dissatisfaction with the persistent refusal of heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to honour invitations from the National Assembly. He had threatened to remove committee chairmen who failed to perform satisfactorily. He also mandated all Senate committees to submit oversight reports by January 2025.It is not clear if the chairmen have submitted their oversight reports; the senate president was silent on it during the plenary.
MEANWHILE, the House of Representatives yesterday postponed plenary over the demise of a colleague, Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga. The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over a brief plenary session yesterday, announced the adjournment, which is part of the legislative tradition to honour their late colleagues.
Kalu, in an emotionally laden tone, also disclosed that the deceased lawmaker’s seat had been covered with white cloth, even as he urged colleagues to stand up and offer a one-minute silence prayer in honour of their former colleague.
It would be recalled that the House in a recent statement signed by its spokesman, Akin Rotimi, had on January 15, announced the death of the lawmaker who until her demise, served as the deputy chief whip of the House. The deceased represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the green chambers.
According to the lawmakers, the deceased was born on December 2, 1965, and served as chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development in the 9th Assembly, where she championed policies to empower women and advance social welfare.