Senate President Godswill Akpabio, says he will replace chairpersons of the standing committees of the upper chamber who are not performing their duties effectively.

Akpabio spoke during the plenary on Tuesday while responding to the complaints by Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, about the failure of the senate committee on finance to carry out its oversight function on revenue-generating agencies.

Akpabio said the leadership of the senate will change if committee chairpersons are not doing their work effectively.

“If for any reason some committees are finding it too difficult to oversee their agencies, we will change the composition of the committees so that those who have the capacity and the capabilities can take over and do the job for the benefit of democracy in this country,” Akpabio said.

The senate president ordered the standing committee chairpersons to submit reports on their oversight activities by January 2025.

“I would like a report from almost all the committees to be submitted by January 31st of the activities so far so that we will know where they have difficulties,” he said.

Akpabio also expressed disappointment over the disregard by the heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) for the invitations of the national assembly.

“The powers are there, and the constitution backs us. I do not see where any MDAs or any agency will refuse to comply with the invitation or demands from any committee of the senate or the national assembly as a whole,” he said.

“Where you overlook it as a committee, that is where they get away with it, and then it now becomes a norm. So, please let us take it seriously.”

Aliyu Wadada, senator representing Nasarawa west, said as chairman of the committee on public accounts, he issued several invitations to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on the remittance of petroleum tax.

He noted that the two agencies failed to provide a convincing explanation.

“The committee had written both NNPC and the Federal Inland Revenue Service. The Federal Inland Revenue Service responded with documents that have been tipexed and handwritten and acclaimed to be from JP Morgan,” Wadada said.

“This is extremely unacceptable, and all efforts for the need to be done have not been achieved.”

[TheCable]