The Senate on Thursday issued a stern warning to federal agencies and public officials who repeatedly ignore invitations from the National Assembly, declaring that it is prepared to deploy its constitutional powers against those who fail to appear before lawmakers.
The warning followed a motion presented by the Senate Committee on Finance, which raised concerns over the refusal of several government institutions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to honour invitations seeking explanations on the remittance of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from 2023 to 2025.
During plenary, senators expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as an increasing trend of non-compliance with legislative oversight, insisting that the National Assembly's constitutional authority must be respected.
Lawmakers unanimously reaffirmed the Senate’s power to summon public officials and agencies, warning that continued disregard for parliamentary invitations would no longer be tolerated.
Several senators who contributed to the debate argued that President Bola Tinubu should not be held responsible for the actions of political appointees and agency heads who fail to honour legislative invitations. They maintained that those officials must be held accountable for undermining oversight responsibilities.
Others urged the Senate leadership to move beyond warnings and enforce compliance by invoking the powers granted to it under the Constitution.
However, Senator Onawo Ogoshi cautioned that the legislature may have inadvertently encouraged such disregard by failing to take decisive action against officials who ignored previous summons. His comments prompted a response from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who weighed in during the deliberations.
In a related development, the Senate turned down an additional proposal by Senator Adams Oshiomhole seeking to explicitly include the issuance of arrest warrants for any public official who failed to honour legislative invitations.
Although the amendment was rejected, the upper chamber directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to comply fully with its summons. It also called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and other supervisory authorities to ensure that agencies under their watch adhere strictly to legislative oversight requirements.
The Senate stressed that its position is backed by Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to summon public officers and compel their appearance whenever necessary in the discharge of its oversight functions.
The latest warning signals a tougher stance by the Senate as it seeks to strengthen accountability and ensure transparency in the management of public funds across government institutions.
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