Audited Accounts: CBN, Others Shun Senate Ultimatum
Eighteen out of the 25 agencies of the Federal Government have not submitted their audited accounts seven days after the Senate issued a week ultimatum for them to do so.
Our correspondent learnt that the affected agencies had also yet to send a written note to the Senate to explain the reasons for their noncompliance.
The Senate on Thursday issued another strong warning to the affected agencies to make available to it the reports in the overall interest of the country, or risked being exposed.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Matthew Urhoghide, in a statement read a riot act to ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government that failed to disclose their financial transactions as stipulated by the constitution.
He said the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the Niger Delta Development Commission had failed to honour the seven-day ultimatum given to them to forward to the committee their audited accounts.
He listed other defaulting agencies as the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the National Agency for Science and Engineering and Infrastructure, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, and the National Space Research and Development Agency.
The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Petroleum Equalization Fund, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Presidential Amnesty Programme, and the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company had yet to also submit their reports.
The rest are the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Urhoghide said, “Recall that on the 20th of November, 2019, the Senate Public Accounts Committee called a press conference to draw the attention of some agencies of government numbering 25 to their failure to submit relevant documents on their income and expenditure for its oversight functions. The agencies were given seven days to send their responses to the committee.
“Despite the lapse of time, some agencies have refused to respond to the committee. The committee in carrying out its oversight functions will not relent in ensuring that the agencies are called to account for their stewardship in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, Senate Standing Orders and extant acts.”
