The House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the non-responsive attitude of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, describing his conduct as unbecoming of the country’s Chief Accountant.

The Committee referred to the repeated failure of the Accountant-General to honour its invitations or provide critical documents required for the discharge of the Public Accounts Committee’s oversight and other constitutional responsibilities.

The Committee, chaired by Rep. Bamidele Salam, issued what it described as a final invitation to the Accountant-General during its sitting on Tuesday, directing him to appear in person before the Committee on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Speaking during the session, Rep. Salam and other members lamented that, despite several correspondences sent to the Office of the Accountant-General in recent months, the AGF had consistently failed to appear before the Committee or adequately respond to requests for important documents.

“The Public Accounts Committee is equally worried that the Accountant-General is not showing any diligence in rendering the accounts of his office and preparing the country’s consolidated financial statements, thereby setting a bad example for other government agencies.

The Committee described the Accountant-General’s disposition as disappointing, stressing that the Office of the Accountant-General is expected to maintain a cooperative working relationship with the National Assembly, particularly the Public Accounts Committee, which is constitutionally empowered to oversee public financial management and ensure accountability in the use of public funds.

“The Office of the Accountant-General occupies a strategic position in Nigeria’s public financial management system. As a critical institution entrusted with the management of public finances, it is expected to work closely with the Committee in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities. Unfortunately, the current Accountant-General has not demonstrated the level of cooperation expected of the office,” he added.

Rep. Salam reaffirmed the Committee’s resolve to ensure strict compliance with legislative oversight, emphasising that no public officer or institution is above accountability to the Nigerian people through their elected representatives.

In a related development, the Committee also issued final invitations to six Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) whose accounting officers have repeatedly failed to honour previous invitations.

The affected MDAs are the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.

The Committee directed the accounting officers of the agencies, and the permanent secretaries in the case of the ministries, to appear before it without fail on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Rep. Salam warned that the Committee would not hesitate to invoke all constitutional and parliamentary measures available to compel compliance from any public institution or official that fails to honour its invitations.

He reiterated the Committee’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and the prudent management of public resources in line with its constitutional mandate. (Nigerian Tribune)

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