Accountant-General Final Summons issued by the House Public Accounts Committee over repeated failure to appear and submit requested documents

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has issued a final summons to the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, directing him to appear before lawmakers on Monday, July 13, 2026, over his repeated failure to honour invitations and submit documents required for legislative oversight.

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The decision was taken during the committee’s sitting on Tuesday, with members expressing concern over what they described as the Accountant-General’s persistent lack of cooperation with the National Assembly.

Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency of Osun State, said several letters sent to the Office of the Accountant-General in recent months requesting documents and inviting Ogunjimi to appear had received no response.

Lawmakers described the conduct as inconsistent with the responsibilities of the nation’s chief accounting officer and warned that continued non-compliance undermined transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

“The Public Accounts Committee is worried that the Accountant-General is not showing any diligence in the rendering of accounts of his office and the preparation of the country’s consolidated financial statements, thus setting a bad example for other agencies of government,” Salam said in a statement issued by the committee’s media unit.

He said the Office of the Accountant-General occupies a pivotal position in Nigeria’s public financial management system and should maintain a productive working relationship with the legislature in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.

“The Office of the Accountant-General occupies a strategic position in Nigeria’s public financial management system.

As a critical institution entrusted with the management of public finances, it is expected to work closely with the Committee in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities. Unfortunately, the current Accountant-General has not demonstrated the level of cooperation expected of the office,” Salam said.

The lawmaker reaffirmed the committee’s determination to enforce legislative oversight and ensure that public institutions remain accountable to Nigerians.

“No public officer or institution is above accountability to the Nigerian people through their elected representatives,” he added.

Beyond the Accountant-General Final Summons, the committee also invited six Ministries, Departments and Agencies whose chief accounting officers allegedly failed to honour previous invitations.

The affected institutions are the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.

For the ministries, the committee directed their permanent secretaries to appear in person on July 13.

Salam warned that the panel would invoke the constitutional powers of the House of Representatives to compel compliance if any public institution or official continued to disregard its invitations.

The Public Accounts Committee is one of the National Assembly’s principal oversight bodies. It examines the accounts of ministries, departments and agencies using reports submitted by the Auditor-General for the Federation to ensure that public funds are managed and expended in accordance with the law.

The latest development comes amid renewed calls for stronger fiscal accountability and greater transparency in public finance management.

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In recent years, the National Assembly has intensified oversight of government agencies, emphasising that accounting officers have a constitutional obligation to cooperate with legislative inquiries and provide timely financial records needed to safeguard public resources.