The Senate has warned that heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs) who fail to honour invitations from the National Assembly will face constitutional and legislative sanctions.
The warning followed a debate during Thursday’s plenary after several government agencies repeatedly failed to appear before the Senate Committee on Finance. The session was presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Lawmakers unanimously resolved that all MDAs and GOEs must comply with legislative summons or risk penalties under the Constitution and other relevant laws.
Leading the debate, Senator Abdul Ningi said the National Assembly should no longer plead with agencies to perform their constitutional obligations. He described their repeated absence as a direct challenge to the authority of the legislature.
Ningi proposed a final warning to defaulting agencies, notification to President Bola Tinubu about the continued disregard for the National Assembly, and the withholding of budgetary allocations to agencies that fail to appear.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole said President Tinubu should not be blamed for the agencies’ actions, insisting the responsibility lies with their leadership. He also accused some of the agencies of violating the Fiscal Responsibility Act and Treasury directives, describing their conduct as “economic sabotage.”
Senator Oji Uzor Kalu maintained that the Senate has enough constitutional powers to compel attendance without involving the Executive. He cited Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, saying the Senate could issue warrants against defaulting officials.
Kalu also commended the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for consistently honouring invitations from lawmakers.
Senator Halilu Ahmed supported the position, urging the Senate to invoke its constitutional powers if agencies continue to ignore summons.
While some lawmakers called for restraint, they agreed that any enforcement action should remain within the provisions of the law.
At the end of the debate, the Senate directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service and all ministers to ensure agencies under their supervision respond promptly to invitations from the National Assembly.
The Senate also resolved that agencies obstructing legislative oversight would be sanctioned under the 1999 Constitution, the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Senate Standing Orders.
A proposal seeking the immediate issuance of bench warrants against defaulting agency heads was later withdrawn following procedural objections.
In a separate resolution, the Senate adopted a motion sponsored by Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero directing all MDAs to regularly submit their audited financial statements to relevant Senate committees in line with Section 85(2) of the Constitution.
Aliero said timely submission of audited accounts is essential for effective legislative oversight, stressing that lawmakers cannot carry out their oversight responsibilities without access to the financial records of government agencies.
