Reps probe MDAs over failure to submit audit reports

The House of Representatives on Monday says it will unmask Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that refused to appear before it with their audited reports.

Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep. Wole Oke, disclosed this during an investigative public hearing into the presentation of audit reports of MDAs on Monday.

The committee is investigating allegations of deliberate and reckless refusal by non-treasury funded MDAs to render accounts to the office of the auditor-general to the federation.

Rep. Oke said the investigation was necessary following the reports of the growing number of MDAs that have refused to submit their audited reports.

He said the investigation was in line with the constitutional responsibility of the House to oversight MDAs and allow for stakeholders to exercise their constitutional rights of fair hearing.

The committee chairman said that the action by the committee was not intended to usurp the functions of the office of the auditor-general to the federation.

“Any agency that is invited and refuses to show up, we will name and shame such MDAs. It shows that you are hiding something.

“We are only asking you, bring your audited accounts. If you have submitted to the auditor-general, show us proof; we are only saying based on the records that we have, so many agencies have refused to comply with the provision of the constitution and relevant statutes.

“It is through these kinds of engagements that we can formulate policies, make new laws or amend the existing ones which are difficult to obey,” he asserted.

The committee agreed that only the managing directors, chief executive officers or the directors of accounts of the various institutions present at the hearing could present the reports.

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Rep. Oke regretted that the statistics were alarming, adding that the committee needs probe into the reason for “this steep drop and outright disregard for the constitution”.

He reiterated that the 9th Assembly would not be “business as usual”, contrary to some opinions that the National Assembly was “a rubber stamp”.

The public investigative hearing would be held for two weeks with different MDAs appearing before the committee to present their reports.