CBN, NDDC, NUPRC Fail to Attend Senate Probe Hearing

On Monday, the planned probe of the 2021 to 2023 Audit Reports on the oil and gas industry by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) faced setbacks as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) did not attend the public hearing organized by the Senate's Public Accounts Committee. The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwabo from Gombe North, had arranged a three-week public hearing based on NEITI's audit reports, expecting attendance from the heads and management teams of the involved agencies.

However, none of the agencies, including NEITI's management, attended the session. In response to their absence, the committee directed that the management of the three agencies must appear before it on Thursday.

Senator Dankwabo warned that failure to comply would result in serious sanctions as outlined by the 1999 Constitution and Senate’s Standing Orders. Senator Babangida Hussaini from Jigawa North West had previously recommended invoking constitutional and Senate rules against the heads of the agencies.