Reps Panel Endorses Arrest of CBN Boss, NDDC Boss, Others

File Photo: House of Rep.

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has endorsed the arrest of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; the sole Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Akwa; Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Melee Kyari and other 51 government officials.

The panel made this move due to non-appearance allegations against these persons without any written reason directed to the Committee who has invited them to a public hearing.

The committee chairperson, Rep Oluwole Oke with others investigated the audit reports by the Office of Auditor General of the Federation for the year 2014 to 2018 and with the mandate to correspond the figures accordingly.

In its recommendation, the committee stated that; “that all Chief Accounting Officers of the 54 government agencies listed on pages 4 to 6, that refused appearance to defend their positions during the public hearing without any written reason, prominent among them are CBN, NNPC, NDDC, RMAFC, etc., should be issued a warrant of arrest to compel their appearance to respond to the matter within a week in line with Section 89 (d) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).”

The Committee, in its report containing 30 recommendations, the committee recommended several serving and former managing directors, directors-general, directors of finance and accounts/administration for prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, while asking various MDAs to make refunds for failing to account for funds.

Other agencies recommended for trial by the committee for not submitting their audited accounts include: NIMASA (2005-2019); Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company (2012-2019); Security and Exchange Commission (2014 – 2018), Petroleum Equalisation Management Board (2017 and 2018 as of 2020), the Federal University of Technology Owerri (delayed 2011 – 2014 and non-rendition of 2016 – 2018), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (2014-2018), and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (since its inception in 2013 to date).