Heads of PPPRA, NSTIF, 54 other govt agencies risk arrest for allegedly shunning Senate probe
Tunde Opalana, Abuja
Heads and officials of 56 Federal Government agencies which include the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) risk being arrested as the Senate on Tuesday threatened them with arrest for allegedly shunning investigative hearing probing their financial activities.
Issuing the threat at one of the hearings at the National Assembly yesterday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Account, Senator Matthew Urhoghide directed the Committee Secretariat to write the affected agencies to compulsorily appear latest next week Tuesday.
Urhoghide warned that failure to honour the invitation, will force the Senate to invoke section of Constitution against the erring agencies.
The Chairman personally quipped the NSTIF for tactically avoiding response to over 50 queries raised against it before the committee.
Urhoghide said, “we have just directed the Secretariat of the Committee to write to the erring ministries agencies and department of government for the last time, asking them to appear before us as from next week.
“We are going to invoke Section 89 of the Constitution, which is bench warrant of arrest to be issued on them to compel them to appear.
“Why will the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund come to tell us that they have a new management? For how long do they want the management to be in place before they can appear? they know that government is a continuum? NSTIF has over 50 queries. It is obvious that they are running away, they don’t want to come and give account.
“Today, the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency, and the Rural Electrification Agency and NSITF are all supposed to be here, bringing the total number of errant agencies to 56.
“We are giving them till next week Tuesday to appear or we issue warrant of arrest on them to appear. They came for appropriation and they don’t want to account for the money they collect.”
