The Senate has issued a one-week ultimatum to the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company NSPMC, and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to appear before it and respond to outstanding audit queries.
The directive was given on Tuesday by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, following the failure of the agencies to appear before the committee during its scheduled hearing.
At the session, the committee secretary informed members that the Bank of Agriculture had written to the panel through its legal adviser.
In the letter, the bank stated that it had previously appeared before the committee on several occasions between February 2023 and November 2024, adding that the issues raised during those engagements had been resolved with the committee and relevant government authorities
The bank further requested details of any outstanding issues and asked for an additional two weeks to enable its management to compile relevant documents.
However, Senator Dankwambo rejected the request, faulting the fact that the correspondence was not signed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank.
He insisted that all official communications relating to legislative invitations must be personally signed by the chief executives of affected agencies.
Dankwambo also criticised the bank for failing to present its Managing Director before the committee despite repeated invitations to address unresolved audit issues.
The committee consequently rejected the request for a two-week extension, stating that agencies cannot determine timelines for legislative oversight processes.
Members unanimously resolved that the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture must personally appear before the committee within one week.
They also maintained that previous audit concerns involving the bank remained unresolved, contrary to claims contained in its letter.
Lawmakers further warned that future correspondences signed by subordinate officials, rather than chief executives, would no longer be accepted.
The committee also described the absence of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company and the Rural Electrification Agency as unacceptable and directed both agencies to appear before it within one week
Several senators expressed concern over what they described as a growing disregard for legislative summons by government agencies.
According to them, audit queries are serious accountability matters that must be treated with urgency and not ignored by public institutions.
The committee stressed that it was acting within its constitutional mandate and based on audit reports submitted through established oversight procedures.
It further warned that any agency that fails to honour the final invitation would face sanctions in line with the Senate’s constitutional powers.
Senator Dankwambo said formal letters would be issued immediately to the affected agencies, detailing unresolved issues requiring urgent attention.
He reiterated that the agencies must appear before the committee within one week or risk penalties for non-compliance with legislative oversight requirements.
