...warns Adedeji over failure to honour summons
The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has directed the immediate suspension of recruitment by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and threatened to invoke its constitutional powers against the agency's Executive Chairman, Dr Zacch Adedeji, over his repeated failure to appear before the committee.
The committee, chaired by Ahmed Idris Wase, issued the directive on Wednesday after expressing dissatisfaction with what it described as the persistent disregard for the National Assembly's oversight responsibilities by the NRS leadership.
At the meeting held at the National Assembly, lawmakers said Adedeji failed to honour another invitation despite being requested to appear alongside an updated nominal roll of the agency's personnel.
According to the committee, the invitation was conveyed in a letter dated July 15, 2026, titled "Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting." The lawmakers noted that the latest correspondence followed several previous letters sent to the NRS chairman between October 2023 and April 2026, all of which were acknowledged but allegedly ignored.
The committee warned that continued refusal by the NRS boss to honour legislative invitations could compel it to invoke Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to investigate public institutions, summon public officials and compel the production of documents.
The lawmakers also criticised the Federal Character Commission (FCC) over its role in granting recruitment waivers to the NRS despite an earlier directive instructing it not to do so.
The committee said the FCC's action undermined its oversight function and amounted to a disregard for the constitutional authority of the House of Representatives.
FCC Chairman, Hulayat Omidiran, was also absent from Wednesday's meeting. In a communication to the committee, she explained that official travel and illness prevented her attendance.
The lawmakers, however, described her repeated absence from previous meetings as unacceptable and inconsistent with the standards of accountability expected from public office holders.
Following deliberations, the committee directed the FCC to suspend all ongoing recruitment activities by the Nigeria Revenue Service until the leadership of both agencies appears before lawmakers to address the issues raised.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Wase insisted that no government institution was above parliamentary oversight.
"The National Assembly is the voice of the Nigerian people. Its constitutional oversight powers are not symbolic. They are binding instruments of accountability. No agency, commission or public official is above the Constitution or beyond the reach of parliamentary oversight," he said.
He added that repeated refusal by public officials to honour invitations from the legislature weakens democratic accountability and erodes public confidence in government institutions.
The committee also pledged to deploy all constitutional and legislative measures available to compel compliance with its lawful directives.
The latest dispute comes amid ongoing scrutiny of appointments and recruitment within the Nigeria Revenue Service.
Reports published earlier this year alleged that some appointments into the agency's executive management failed to comply with the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, which provides that Executive Directors should reflect the country's geopolitical diversity and bars the Executive Chairman and an Executive Director from originating from the same state.
The appointments have since become the subject of litigation before an Abuja High Court, where the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria is challenging their legality.
The suit seeks an order restraining the affected Executive Directors from performing their official duties pending the determination of the case, with the President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Revenue Service named as defendants.
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