Senate Threatens Sanctions for MDAs, GOEs Defying Legislative Summons

* Orders immediate compliance with committee invitations, directs SGF, ministers to enforce resolution

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate on Thursday escalated its confrontation with government-owned enterprises (GOEs) and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), warning that any institution that refuses to honour its invitations or obstructs legislative oversight will face constitutional sanctions and enforcement measures.

The upper chamber also directed all MDAs and GOEs to comply with summons issued by the Senate and its committees, appear whenever required and submit all records and documents needed for oversight, insisting that continued defiance would no longer be tolerated.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), who accused several revenue-generating agencies of persistently frustrating legislative oversight by refusing to appear before the committee or provide requested financial records.

As part of the resolution, the Senate mandated the Clerk of the National Assembly to formally communicate its decision to all affected agencies for immediate compliance.

It also called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and all ministers to ensure that agencies under their supervision honour Senate invitations and summonses without delay.

Leading the debate, Musa reminded the lawmakers that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empower the National Assembly to investigate the administration and expenditure of public funds in order to expose corruption, inefficiency and waste, as well as ensure accountability in the management of government resources.

He further cited Order 97 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 (as amended), which authorises Senate standing committees to conduct oversight of ministries, departments, agencies and government-owned enterprises within their jurisdictions.

According to him, the Senate Committee on Finance routinely conducts investigative hearings on the financial operations of public institutions, focusing on internally generated revenue, stamp duty collections, operating surpluses and deficits, statutory remittances into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), and compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and successive Finance Acts.

Musa, however, lamented that several agencies had repeatedly ignored invitations issued by the committee despite their constitutional obligation to appear and provide relevant information.

He described the development as a direct challenge to the constitutional authority of the National Assembly.

“Despite duly issued invitations and notices, several government-owned enterprises and ministries, departments and agencies have persistently failed, neglected or outright refusal to honour invitations extended by the Senate Committee on Finance in the exercise of its oversight functions,” he said.

He warned that the continued refusal of public institutions to cooperate with the legislature undermined the doctrine of separation of powers, weakened accountability and transparency in public finance, and eroded confidence in democratic governance.

“In blatant disregard of the oversight powers vested in the National Assembly by the Constitution, such persistent non-compliance constitutes a direct affront to the constitutional authority of the Senate, undermines the doctrine of separation of powers and checks and balances, weakens legislative oversight and impedes transparency and accountability in the management of public resources,” Musa stated.

He cautioned that failure to decisively address the trend could encourage institutional impunity, frustrate the effective discharge of the legislature’s oversight responsibilities and compromise prudent management of the nation’s finances.

Several senators, who contributed to the debate backed the motion, reaffirming the constitutional powers of the National Assembly to investigate the finances and administration of all public institutions established by law.

Following the debate, the Senate resolved that all GOEs and MDAs must honour invitations issued by the Senate and its committees, appear whenever summoned and furnish all documents, records and information required for effective legislative oversight.

The Senate further declared that any agency or government-owned enterprise that deliberately refuses or fails to honour its invitations, or obstructs the constitutional oversight functions of the National Assembly, would be subjected to sanctions and enforcement measures in line with the Constitution, the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and the Senate Standing Orders.

The resolution came amid an ongoing probe by the Senate Committee on Finance into the financial operations of several revenue-generating agencies over their internally generated revenue, operating surpluses, stamp duty collections, statutory remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Finance Acts.

Musa had informed the Senate that despite repeated invitations, several agencies either ignored the committee or claimed they were under no obligation to appear before it, a position lawmakers unanimously rejected as inconsistent with the constitutional oversight powers of the National Assembly.