Gbajabiamila Condemns Non-attendance of Public Hearings by Heads of Agencies

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Wole Oke on Monday frowned at the attitude of heads of government agencies who always send representatives to public hearings ordered by the National Assembly.

Represented by the Deputy Leader of the House, Peter Akpatason, at the investigative hearing by House Committee on Public Account on the need to investigate refusal by non-treasury and partially funded MDAs to render audited accounts to the Auditor General of the Federation from 2014- 2018, Gbajabiamila expressed disappointment at the absence of agencies such as Central Bank of Nigeria, Accountant General office, office of the Auditor General and many others.

According to him, "Public Accounts Committee was deliberately and purposefully included in the constitution because of the strategic and important role the committee play in every parliament. The House is not pleased with the agencies of government that are not present here today, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the accountant-general office as well as the office of the auditor-general and many others."

The Speaker warned that any further attempt to ignore such committee is in deep violation of the laws, and will be sanctioned.

 

On his part, the Chairman Public Accounts Committee, Wole Oke, threatened to name and shame directors of agencies absent at the hearing, saying their absence proves that they are hiding something.

"If agencies of government created by the National Assembly like the ICPC or EFCC storm your office and ask for your audited accounts, would you be giving them the excuses that you are giving to us," the lawmaker queried

He said: "Do we have to wait for the president to wade in when clearly we have the constitutional mandate to do so? You like to be CEOs but you don’t like to render accounts. You can discharge your duties when it comes to spending money but when it comes to accountability you shy away. If the managing directors of Bank of Industry, NEXIM, Department of Petroleum Resources can be here, why wouldn’t others?

"We will name and shame you. If you don’t render accounts, how would the accountant-general of the federation finalise the accounts of the federation? How would the auditor-general be able to present a fair position on the state of our finances? This parliament will do their jobs, and any agency that we invite, and refuses to show up will find its name on the pages of newspapers tomorrow- we will name and shame such MDAs. This goes to show that you are hiding something."