The House of Representatives has expressed strong displeasure over the repeated failure of several government agencies to honor parliamentary invitations, describing the trend as a blatant disregard for legislative authority and constitutional obligations.
During a plenary session on Monday, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, condemned the agencies’ actions, emphasizing that such behavior undermines the oversight function of the National Assembly. According to him, the agencies’ absence sends a dangerous signal of non-accountability in governance.
“The refusal of these agencies to appear before the legislature is not only a violation of their statutory duty but also a slap on the face of democracy,” Abbas stated. “This House will not tolerate such insolence, and we will take all necessary measures to ensure compliance.”
The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Oluwole Oke, disclosed that more than 15 agencies had ignored repeated invitations to provide clarification on the Auditor-General’s report and budget implementation processes. Among the defaulting agencies are key players in the oil and gas, power, and transportation sectors.
Lawmakers across party lines voiced their frustrations, urging the leadership of the House to take decisive action. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Minority Leader, suggested issuing arrest warrants for heads of defaulting agencies as provided for in the Constitution.
“The Constitution is clear about the role of the legislature in holding the executive accountable. If these agencies think they are above the law, we will remind them otherwise,” Elumelu said.
The House resolved to issue a final ultimatum to the agencies, mandating their appearance within seven days. Failure to comply, according to the lawmakers, will result in invoking relevant sanctions, including withholding budgetary approvals and issuing warrants of arrest.
The defiance of parliamentary invitations has become a recurring issue in Nigeria, sparking debates on the need to strengthen the enforcement of legislative authority to ensure good governance and transparency.
Observers are now watching closely to see if the lawmakers will follow through with their threats or if the agencies will heed the ultimatum.
