NASS Roundup: Tinubu’s summons, rehabilitation of repentant terrorists, xenophobia, and other stories from the House of Reps

Nigeria's House of Representatives returned to a packed legislative agenda this week after a three-week recess. Lawmakers immediately engaged in intensive oversight, debated budget implementation, and addressed national security concerns. The resumption was marked by a significant row over a motion to summon President Bola Tinubu to explain the sluggish implementation of the 2025 budget.

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The House Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday summoned the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi, and six MDAs to appear on Monday, 13 July, following their repeated failure to defend audit queries.

The motion, introduced by Alex Ikwechegh, highlighted substantial delays in fund releases, with many government bodies receiving little to no capital allocations. While the motion acknowledged the president's directive on settling liabilities, it also called for his personal explanation on why these funds had not improved security and infrastructure. This sparked sharp disagreement, with some arguing for direct presidential engagement and others advocating for engagement with ministers and agency heads. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen intervened, emphasizing adherence to parliamentary procedure.

Separately, the House Committee on Public Accounts summoned the Accountant-General, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi, and six ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Their repeated failure to appear and defend audit queries has frustrated lawmakers' constitutional duty to scrutinize public spending. Committee Chairman Bamidele Salam noted the persistent lack of response to official requests, warning that continued disregard for legislative invitations constitutes contempt of parliament and could lead to sanctions.

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Lawmakers expressed concern that the persistent absence of key accounting officers is frustrating the National Assembly’s constitutional mandate to scrutinise public expenditure.

In another oversight action, the House has launched an investigation into a controversial ₦1.3 billion allocation designated for an agency described as 'phantom.' This move signals a renewed focus on accountability and the responsible use of public funds.

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The committee warned that continued disregard for legislative invitations amounts to contempt of parliament and directed the affected agencies to comply or face sanctions.