The House of Representatives Public Account committee on Monday ordered the Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA boss, Hon. Dakuku Peterside to appear before members within 48hours over the inability of the agency to submit its audit accounts in the last four years.

The members of the Committee currently investigating the alleged deliberate and reckless refusal by non-Treasury Funded MDAs to render audited accounts to the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation took the decision after the submission of the Director, Mr. Victor Onuzuruike, who represented the Agency.

The Committee described the explanations of the Director that the audited report for the period under review was ready but that it has not been approved by the Board of the Agency as unacceptable, and afterthought.

The members frowned at the attitude of the Agency for failing to render the audited Account for over four years and consequently directed the Clerk of the Committee to write to the NIMASA boss to appear before the Parliament within 48 hours of failure which a bench of warrant of arrest would be issued against him.

While expressing displeasure over the failure of some accounting officers of some of the invited MDAs to be at the hearing, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Wole Oke lamented that the MDAs stayed off despite the adequate notice in newspaper advertorials and invitation letters.

He said the refusal of the agencies to render their audited accounts not only violated the constitution but a deliberate effort to sabotage governance in the country.

He declared that the refusal by some partially funded and revenue-generating agencies of the federal government was a flagrant violation of the constitution.

Oke, who described the statistics of violations as alarming noted that the development indicated an outright disregard for the constitution which was the grand norm of the country.

He also warned the heads of the MDAs to stop hiding under the guise of the absence of governing Boards that would approve their audited Accounts as reasons for not coming before the parliament with the documents as the long arm law would catch up with such people. (Nigerian Tribune)

Update news