The Senate on Thursday issued a stern warning to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs), threatening to block their budgetary allocations and invoke constitutional sanctions over their repeated refusal to honour invitations from legislative committees.
The upper chamber said the growing disregard for oversight invitations amounts to a direct challenge to the constitutional powers of the National Assembly and vowed to take decisive action against defaulting agencies.
The warning followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa (Niger East), during plenary.
Presenting the motion, Musa recalled that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution empower the National Assembly to investigate the activities of government agencies, expose corruption and ensure accountability in the management of public funds.
He lamented that despite several invitations, many MDAs and government-owned enterprises have consistently failed to appear before the committee or submit requested documents.
“This persistent non-compliance constitutes a direct affront to the constitutional authority of the Senate. It weakens legislative oversight, undermines transparency and accountability, and erodes the doctrine of separation of powers,” Musa said.
He warned that allowing the trend to continue would encourage impunity, frustrate legislative oversight and further weaken public confidence in democratic governance.
Following deliberations, the Senate directed all ministries, departments, agencies and government-owned enterprises to honour invitations issued by the Senate and its committees and provide all documents required for legislative oversight.
The lawmakers also called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and all ministers to ensure agencies under their supervision comply fully with Senate directives.
The Clerk to the National Assembly was mandated to communicate the resolutions to all affected institutions for immediate compliance.
In a stronger resolution, senators agreed that any agency or official who deliberately refuses to honour invitations or obstructs legislative oversight should face sanctions in line with the Constitution, the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Senate Standing Orders.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North) said the legislature must defend its constitutional mandate against any attempt by the executive to undermine Parliament.
“The relationship between the executive and legislature should be mutually beneficial in delivering democracy to Nigerians. But where the executive displays arrogance or attempts to undermine Parliament, the legislature must rise to defend its constitutional mandate,” he said.
Also supporting the motion, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi (Bauchi Central) expressed surprise that such incidents were occurring under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, noting that Tinubu had maintained a cordial relationship with lawmakers while serving as Governor of Lagos State.
Ningi suggested that the President might be unaware that some agency heads were ignoring legislative invitations.
He proposed a three-stage enforcement process, beginning with a final warning by the relevant committee, followed by a report to the President, while persistent offenders should ultimately be denied budgetary appropriations by the National Assembly.
“If oversight is removed from the Constitution, then there is no legislature. This Parliament is not a department of the executive. Legislators are elected by the people to hold government accountable,” he said.
He also urged lawmakers to remain independent and avoid any form of inducement capable of compromising their oversight responsibilities.
The Senate maintained that it would continue to enforce its constitutional powers to ensure transparency, accountability and prudent management of public resources.
