The Senate has issued a warning to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs), stating that agencies that continue to ignore invitations from the National Assembly may face sanctions under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The warning came after lawmakers adopted a motion sponsored by Senator Sani Musa under Orders 41 and 51, addressing the repeated failure of some government institutions to appear before Senate committees despite several invitations.
While presenting the motion, Senator Musa stated that Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution grant the National Assembly the authority to investigate the operations of MDAs, GOEs and other bodies responsible for managing public funds approved by the legislature.
He described the continued refusal of some agencies to respond to Senate invitations as a challenge to the authority of the legislature and a violation of its constitutional oversight role.
Following deliberations, the Senate reaffirmed its powers to investigate and supervise government institutions, directing all MDAs and GOEs to comply with invitations from the Senate and its committees whenever required.
Lawmakers also urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, and relevant supervising ministries to ensure that agencies under their supervision respond appropriately to legislative invitations.
The Clerk of the National Assembly was equally instructed to communicate the Senate’s resolution to affected agencies, the SGF, the Head of Service and other relevant authorities for immediate compliance.
During the debate, Senator Mohammed Monguno described the motion as necessary, stressing that the legislature must protect its independence within Nigeria’s presidential system of government.
He argued that parliament must act whenever government institutions fail to respect constitutional oversight responsibilities.
Senator Abdul Ningi also expressed concern over what he described as a growing disregard for legislative oversight. He noted that the situation was different from the cooperative relationship previously seen between the executive and legislature during the early years of the Fourth Republic.
Ningi proposed that defaulting agencies should receive a final warning before the Senate reports continued violations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He also suggested that the National Assembly could consider withholding budgetary allocations from agencies that repeatedly refuse to cooperate.
Senator Orji Kalu further criticized the attitude of some agencies, insisting that lawmakers must enforce their constitutional authority. He warned that agencies that fail to honour summons after repeated invitations could face stronger measures, including possible arrest warrants.
