The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has summoned the leadership of Nigeria Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT), Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRE), and other government institutions to answer a serious N20.853 billion audit query.
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and three other entities are also named in this case.
The committee, led by Rep Bamidele Salam, has given these agencies a 72-hour deadline to appear before it.
The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation raised audit queries against these agencies totaling N20.853 billion.
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The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), and the Federal University of Petroleum Studies in Effurum, Delta State are among the agencies called.
Salam emphasized that this decision was made in response to the agencies’ absence from a committee meeting intended to resolve the audit questions raised against them.
He also issued a harsh warning, adding that the invitation is the final notice before an arrest warrant is filed against the heads of these entities.
Only the Rural Electrification Agency, out of the six invited institutions, sent letters to the committee requesting that the Chief Executive Officer be excused from attending the hearing.
The examination also included a review of financial advances and the proper allocation of funds allotted by the House for certain of these institutions.
Salam went on to say, “We are going to use our constitutional power to ensure that every kobo spent by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is prudently utilized.”
Members of the committee have previously expressed their displeasure with the attitude of some government agency heads regarding parliamentary invitations and asked for suitable punishment.
