Senate Probe: NEITI, CBN, NUPRC Fail to Attend Hearing

On Monday, an investigative hearing by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts (SPAC) into audit reports on various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) could not commence as the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) did not appear. The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, waited over an hour past the scheduled time of 3 p.m. for the agencies, which did not send representatives or provide explanations for their absence.

The hearing aimed to address audit queries from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation from 2021 to 2023 and assess compliance with financial regulations. Senator Babangida Husseini criticized the agencies for their disrespect towards the National Assembly, while Senator Patrick Ndubueze suggested sanctions.

Despite the disapproval, some senators proposed giving the agencies another chance to appear on August 6.