CACOL Condemns Growing Disregard For Legislative Oversight By Federal Agencies

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) strongly condemns the increasing trend of flagrant disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly of Nigeria by some heads of government agencies and parastatals who have persistently failed to honour invitations or appear before legislative committees carrying out their legitimate oversight functions.

In a release signed by Tola Oresanwo the Director, Administration and Programmes on behalf of the Chairman of the Centre, Debo Adeniran, he said “Legislative oversight is a cornerstone of democratic governance. The powers of the legislature to investigate the activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are clearly provided for under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When public officials deliberately ignore summons or invitations from the parliament, it undermines transparency, weakens accountability mechanisms and erodes public confidence in democratic institutions.”

CACOL is particularly concerned about recent reports that the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the operations, funding sources and performance of Development Finance Institutions threatened to invoke its constitutional powers to compel the appearance of the Bank of Industry after the bank failed to honour its invitation to appear before the committee. Such conduct sends a troubling signal that some public officials believe they are above the law and beyond legislative scrutiny.

Similarly, lawmakers recently expressed serious concern over the persistent refusal of the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, to honour invitations from the Senate Committee on Finance, prompting calls within the Senate for his removal over repeated disregard for legislative oversight.

In another disturbing development, the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Engineering was forced to step down consideration of the 2026 budget of the National Centre for Technology Management after its Director-General, Olushola Odusanya, failed to appear before the committee to defend the agency’s proposal.

These examples are not isolated incidents but appear to reflect a growing culture of institutional arrogance and disregard for democratic accountability among some public officials.

CACOL wishes to remind all heads of government agencies that they are custodians of public trust and are therefore accountable to the Nigerian people through their elected representatives.

The group said, “refusing to honour legislative invitations or sending junior officers in place of chief executives when critical issues of policy, finance and performance are under scrutiny is unacceptable and constitutes a serious affront to democratic governance.”

The Chairman of CACOL further stated that “We therefore call on the leadership of the National Assembly to take decisive steps to enforce its constitutional powers where necessary. Officials who persistently refuse to appear before legislative committees should face appropriate sanctions, including the invocation of constitutional powers to compel attendance and, where applicable, recommendations for disciplinary action.”

Furthermore, CACOL urges the Presidency and supervising ministries to ensure that heads of agencies under their purview fully cooperate with legislative oversight processes. Respect for the rule of law and institutional checks and balances is essential for strengthening Nigeria’s democratic system.

The Centre reiterates that effective oversight by the legislature is not a political exercise but a constitutional responsibility designed to promote transparency, prevent corruption and ensure that public institutions serve the interests of the Nigerian people.

Concluding, CACOL said it will continue to monitor developments and advocate for accountability, transparency and good governance in all public institutions.