Senate Gives CBN, NUPRC, NDDC, NEITI 72-Hour Ultimatum Over Audit Hearing Absence

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has given the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and other defaulting agencies a 72-hour ultimatum to appear before it over their failure to honour invitations to respond to audit queries.

The directive followed the absence of officials from the agencies during Monday’s special legislative oversight and public hearing on NEITI’s oil and gas industry audit reports covering 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The hearing was convened to examine NEITI’s audit findings on revenues, remittances, payments, financial obligations and compliance by stakeholders in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

The committee is also reviewing adherence to the Constitution, the NEITI Act, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, financial regulations and other laws governing the oil and gas industry.

More than 50 government institutions and oil and gas companies were scheduled to appear before the committee between August 3 and August 25.

However, officials from the CBN, NUPRC, NDDC and NEITI failed to attend the opening session without providing any formal explanation.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, said the hearing was organised to clear pending audit issues and strengthen the Senate’s oversight responsibilities.

Committee members criticised the agencies for what they described as disregard for the National Assembly and the Nigerian people.

Senator Babangida Hussaini described the absence as a distraction to legislative oversight, noting that public institutions must account for the use of public funds.

Senator Patrick Ndubueze said lawmakers had interrupted their recess and constituency engagements to attend the hearing, describing the agencies’ failure to appear as unacceptable.

Senator Nasiru Zangon-Daura also faulted the agencies for failing to send representatives or communicate reasons for their absence.

Following deliberations, the committee adopted a motion directing the affected agencies to appear before it on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

Dankwambo warned that failure to honour the rescheduled invitation could attract sanctions under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Senate Standing Orders.

The committee also instructed its secretariat to formally notify all affected agencies of the ultimatum and the consequences of continued non-compliance.

The public hearing is expected to continue with appearances by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and other invited institutions.