Tag: House of Representatives

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has revealed that over 60 percent of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria consistently violate financial regulations, with more than ₦250 billion in public funds unaccounted for.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Bamidele Salam, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing to announce the maiden National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance.

Salam highlighted critical issues plaguing Nigeria’s fiscal governance, including widespread unauthorised virements, mounting audit queries, incomplete audit cycles, institutional financial leakages, opaque public financial reporting, and poor enforcement of financial protocols across all levels of government.

He emphasised that the conference presents a timely platform for high-level policy dialogue aimed at securing stakeholders’ commitment to ongoing fiscal reforms initiated by the Tinubu-led administration.

He said if Nigeria is to reap optimally the full benefits of the ongoing fiscal governance reforms initiated by the Tinubu-led administration, “we must seize the opportunity of this conference as a platform for high-level national policy dialogue for galvanization of stakeholders’ commitment.

“We strongly believe, as important stakeholders, that it is imperative for us to leverage the opportunity of this unique conference to deepen collaboration among Public Accounts Committees, especially at the sub-national levels, Audit Institutions, Regulatory Bodies, and Anti-Corruption Agencies”.

He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to declare open the four-day conference, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Director General of the General Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Edwin W. Harris Jr., Director, are expected to speak at the conference.

He said that the conference represents a bold, deliberate, and strategic initiative by the Public Accounts Committee and the House of Representatives at large to reposition Nigeria’s fiscal governance and public accounts management systems towards greater integrity, enhanced efficiency, and robust accountability. It will also serve as a veritable platform to mainstream the Renewed Hope Agenda into global fiscal governance transparency structures to firmly reestablish Nigeria’s leadership both regionally and at a continental level.

Salam said that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture in its journey toward fiscal governance reforms, adding that some progress has been made over the years, and particularly the notable reforms under the current administration, entrenched systemic challenges remain.

He said further that the conference will serve as a prelude to the Annual Conference of the West African Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAPAC) later in the year, following Nigeria’s emergence as the winner of the hosting rights for the 2025 edition has been deliberately structured to deliver strong institutional value with special focus.

According to him, the conference is aimed at building institutional capacity and delivering targeted capacity development and skill-building sessions for Public Accounts Committees, Auditors, Financial Managers and Regulatory Officers across all tiers of government, with an emphasis on contemporary tools and practices for audit efficiency and oversight.

He said it will also facilitate knowledge exchange and create a participatory environment for dialogue and experience-sharing among national and international stakeholders on public sector audit reforms, accountability practices, and digital innovations in fiscal governance, while strengthening the audit implementation frameworks and examine the current institutional frameworks and technical bottlenecks limiting the implementation of audit recommendations, and recommend specific mechanisms for reform, enforcement, and institutional compliance.

The conference will also harmonize national and sub-national laws to align and standardize the laws, procedures, and operational guidelines of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and other stakeholders in fiscal governance space across the national and sub-national levels for greater consistency and effectiveness in public financial oversight.

Salam said the conference will also foster broad stakeholder commitment to transparency and accountability by building consensus and shared responsibility among all actors in the fiscal governance space to uphold accountability, reduce leakages, and institutionalise sound public financial management practices.

He stressed that at the end of the conference, the committee expect a significant reduction in unaccounted expenditures from over ₦300 Billion to less than ₦1Billion in the next fiscal year 2026, a drop in the number of audit queries and rate of non-compliance with financial regulations from over 60% to less than double digit at 9% through rigorous capacity building development and a measurable significant improvement in Nigeria’s Fiscal Governance Health Index (FGHI) across all levels of government through enhanced transparency measures using digital technology tools for sustainable national development.

Responding to questions, Salam said ‘there is no doubt in the fact that as a country, we still have a long way to go in terms of deepening our fiscal governance systems and structures, and that is why almost all tiers of government, executive, legislative and the judiciary have at various points in time had to have interventions on issues coming out of mismanagement of public resources.

“When you have a country as large and as diverse as Nigeria, you have to put some things in place to ensure that you don’t allow people to commit infractions and get away with it because of the span of time it takes to track most of this expenditure. And one of the problems we have identified in the Public Accounts Committee is the fact that, for example, as we speak, the report we have before the National Assembly is the Auditor General’s report for 2021.

“In most cases, those who were alleged to have committed those infractions have retired, some have changed their office and job role, some have even gone to the world beyond. And so, when you sit down to consider most of these issues, it becomes a little bit tricky and difficult to get to the root of some of the matters, because those who are the present occupiers of the office at the moment have little or no information on those things that happened. We believe that one of the ways through which we can bridge this very, very huge gap is to call all stakeholders to attention and learn from what happens elsewhere.

“We have had a study tour of the Public Accounts Committee in Ghana. We had a study tour of the Public Accounts Committee in Nairobi, Kenya. We had a study tour of the Public Accounts Committee in Rwanda and in each of these jurisdictions, we have discovered that the centrality of the Supreme Audit Institution, which is the Auditor General for the Federation, is very, very key to whatever you want to do, especially in the line of prevention of most of this corruption and mismanagement of resources.

“But if that office itself is starved of resources or manpower, it will impact on its outputs. And don’t forget, it is that output of that committee that, by Sections 85 and 86 of the Constitution, is referred to the Public Accounts Committee.

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“The challenge I would, however, want to give members of the media is this. We laid a report on the expenditure of the COVID-19 expenditure, over a trillion naira, for COVID-19. The Public Accounts Committee laid a report. And for the first time in the history of the Public Accounts Committee in this institution, that report was considered by the House in daylight. It’s never happened since 1999.

“That report was passed. Now, I think I want to challenge us to go into that report and see some of those recommendations and the punitive measures that have been recommended. As we speak, this committee has also laid three different reports before the House, which will equally be considered very soon.

“If you can track some of these things, you will see a lot of application of existing laws and regulations and the punitive measures already recommended. We don’t even need new measures. We have enough provisions in our existing regulations and laws to deal with these matters.

“We are in Parliament, we are not the executive. Ours is to consider the report, make the recommendations, and send them to the appropriate agencies of government for enforcement. We are not the executive arm of government.

“To the best of our ability, we have been doing that, and we will continue to do that as the Public Accounts Committee of the House. So it is obvious, if you ask whether one is happy, nobody is happy”.

The Constitution Review Committee of the House of Representatives has scheduled its zonal public hearings to begin on July 11.

The hearings will deliberate on the 87 prioritised Bills between July 11 and 20 to gather public views on the amendment process.

The committee also stated that it would engage with registered political parties on Monday, July 14, in Abuja and hold a National Public Hearing on Monday, July 21.

The public hearings are meant to give the country an all-embracing Constitution, the Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Benjamin Kalu said.

Kalu, who is the Deputy Speaker, announced the dates of the hearings while releasing the timelines for the committee’s activities.

He said the House planned to deliver a new Constitution by the end of December.

The dates of the public hearings are as follows:

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•Northern Geopolitical Zones – Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13.

•Southern Geopolitical Zones – Friday, July 18 to July 20.

Other activities lined up during the constitution review include an engagement with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), state Houses of Assembly, members of the diplomatic corps, media executives, civil society organisations (NGOs), among others.

Kalu said the committee would also meet with the Speakers of the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly at a joint retreat with the Senate Constitution Review members to harmonise Bills and ensure consistency across the country.

A Bill seeking to reserve 15 per cent of recruitment into the various services of the Armed Forces for women scaled the second reading yesterday in the House of Representatives.

In her lead debate, the Bill’s sponsor, Kafilat Ogbara, said it seeks to amend the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, to ensure that at least 15 per cent of women representation in the enlistment, recruitment and appointment of service personnel.

The Bill also requires the Armed Forces to provide and maintain a gender-responsive compliance programme in the enlistment, recruitment, training, provision of accommodation, operational engagement, provision of logistics, marital status, posting and discipline of service personnel.

When passed, it will ensure the establishment of a unit to monitor and maintain records of the gender-responsive compliance programme and disaggregated data collation.

Ogbara said: “…The current legal framework under the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, lacks specific provisions that guarantee gender inclusion or affirmative action in recruitment, training, and promotion.

“This has resulted in system under-representation of women, reinforced by cultural and institutional biases. Globally, the United Nations Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security, as well as Nigeria’s National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, advocate for increased participation of women in peace and security structures, including the military.

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“These instruments highlight the importance of gender equity as a strategic imperative for operational effectiveness, legitimacy, and human rights compliance within the military.”

“In response to these gaps, the proposed amendment seeks to introduce legally binding provisions that guarantee a minimum of 15 per cent female representation in recruitment and appointments, and mandate a gender-responsive compliance framework across military operations.

“The inclusion of a gender-monitoring unit and systematic disaggregated data collation aligns with international best practices and Nigeria’s constitutional commitment to equality and non-discrimination under Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Furthermore, it resonates with the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to which Nigeria is a State Party. The Bill, therefore, represents a strategic legislative intervention aimed at institutionalising gender inclusivity and addressing structural inequalities in the Armed Forces, thereby strengthening the professionalism, accountability, and representativeness of Nigeria’s military institutions.”

The lawmaker described the proposed amendment as a call to justice, equity, and national progress.

The House of Representatives yesterday held a valedictory session for five of its members who have died since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly in 2023.

The deceased members are: Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, Abdulkadir Jelani Danbuga, Isa Dogonyaro, Olaide Adewale Akinremi, and Ekene Abubakar Adams.

It was an emotional moment for the lawmakers as they reflected on some of the times they spent with their colleagues in the hallowed Green Chamber of the National Assembly.

The valedictory session also coincided with this year’s celebration of International Children’s Day with a student of Government Secondary School, Luke Lawal Haruna Sani, serving as the shadow Speaker.

During the valedictory session, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said the passing of the members left a pain in the hearts of their colleagues and a void in the deliberations of the House.

The Speaker noted that each of the late members “served with distinction, passion, and tireless dedication to their country and constituents”.

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He added: “Although their voices now fall silent, the ideals they championed continue to resonate within these walls and the communities they tirelessly served and uplifted.”

Commenting on individual members who passed away, the Speaker recalled that Onanuga’s unwavering advocacy for women’s empowerment and education transformed countless lives in Ogun State.

He said: “Her electoral triumphs were only surpassed by her generosity of spirit and her willingness to nurture emerging leaders.”

Commenting on Danbuga’s time in the House, Abbas recalled that the late lawmaker exemplified quiet humility.

The Speaker noted that though the late lawmaker’s tenure was brief, his devotion to Isa/Sabon Birni Federal Constituency of Sokoto State was steadfast, proving that true impact rests not on years served but on the courage shown each day.

He said Dogonyaro brought rigorous integrity to every committee he served in: from National Security to Public Health, “reminding us that leadership often speaks most powerfully through action rather than words”.

Abbas said the late Akinremi, popularly called Jagaban, exhibited an entrepreneurial vision, commerce, and community service, illustrating how public office could ignite innovation for the common good.

The Speaker recalled that Ekene Adams, “whose youthful vigour on the football field shaped his legislative zeal, taught us that the spirit of teamwork and resilience is as vital in the chamber as on the pitch”.

He added: “Their collective legacy compels us to remember that our authority here on earth is neither a birthright nor an end in itself but a sacred trust borrowed for a moment in history.

“As the American philosopher William James admonished: ‘The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.’

“Another thinker reminds us that ‘life becomes more meaningful when we realise the simple fact that we will never get the same moment twice’.”

Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Sani Madaki nearly broke down in tears as he read his tribute to the late Dogonyaro, while Akrinremi’s wife fought back tears as she praised the House for honouring her husband and the others.

A former Speaker, Patricia Etteh, recalled her last moment with the late Onanuga a few days before she passed away, recalling that she had scheduled to meet with her over her health condition.

Etteh described the late Onanuga as a dedicated and hard-working person who fought her way to the limelight through hard work, dedication, and loyalty.