By Aaron Ossai
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has expressed strong displeasure over what it described as the persistent non-responsive attitude of the Accountant-General of the Federation, AGF, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, accusing him of failing to cooperate with the committee’s oversight responsibilities.
At its sitting on Tuesday, the committee, chaired by Hon. Bamidele Salam, criticized the Accountant-General for repeatedly ignoring invitations and failing to submit key documents required for the committee’s constitutional oversight functions.
Describing the situation as unacceptable, the committee issued what it termed a final summons, directing the AGF to appear in person before it on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Committee members noted that despite several official correspondences sent to the Office of the Accountant-General in recent months, Mr. Ogunjimi had consistently failed to attend hearings or adequately respond to requests for vital financial records.
Hon. Salam also expressed concern over what he described as the Accountant-General’s lack of diligence in rendering the accounts of his office and preparing Nigeria’s consolidated financial statements, warning that such conduct sends the wrong signal to other government agencies.
“The Public Accounts Committee is equally worried that the Accountant-General is not showing the expected diligence in rendering the accounts of his office and preparing the country’s consolidated financial statements, thereby setting a poor example for other government institutions,” he said.
The committee stressed that the Office of the Accountant-General occupies a strategic position in Nigeria’s public financial management architecture and is expected to maintain a cooperative relationship with the National Assembly, particularly the Public Accounts Committee, which is constitutionally mandated to ensure accountability in the management of public funds.
According to Hon. Salam, the level of cooperation expected from the Accountant-General’s office has been lacking, despite its critical role in promoting transparency and accountability in government finances.
He reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to enforcing legislative oversight, emphasizing that no public officer or institution is exempt from accountability to Nigerians through their elected representatives.
Meanwhile, 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 agencies 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 affected agencies, as well as the permanent secretaries of the ministries, to appear before it without fail on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Hon. Salam warned that the committee would invoke all constitutional and parliamentary powers available to compel compliance from any public official or institution that continues to disregard its invitations.
He reiterated the committee’s determination to strengthen transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public resources in line with its constitutional mandate.
