The Senate Committee on Finance has asked the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to compel the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq, to appear before it within 24 hours to defend the commission’s budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
Chairman of the Committee, Sani Musa, gave the directive on Wednesday after the CAC RG shunned the committee’s invitation for the third time.
Mr Ishaq, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was supposed to appear before the committee to defend the commission’s allocation but he assigned four of its directors to do so on his behalf on Wednesday.
The lawmakers were angered by the action of the RG and demanded that he appear before the panel.
“I am invoking Section 89(2) mandating the Inspector General of Police to compel the appearance of the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission before the Senate Committee on Finance within 24 hours” Mr Musa said.
Addressing the directors, the chairman stated that Mr Ishaq’s action was a disregard to the upper legislative chamber.
“With all sense of humility, the Corporate Affairs Registrar-General has disregarded this committee.
“Distinguished Colleagues, Corporate Affairs Commission was present when we treated MTEF/FSP and the Director of Finance was here. We saw discrepancies and we told you to go and come back.
“You have your bookkeepers, you have your records and we asked you to go and tidy up and report back, but you never did.
He questioned the reasons behind the refusal of the RG to appear before the senate committee.
“I have cause to tell the secretariat to send you a letter, you appeared here when you came, you said the registrar-general just fell ill. I excused you expecting you are going to come back with the documents expected.
“You know what the financial regulation of this country is. I had cause to tell the committee secretariat to write to you again and you are without the RG. You are the custodian of the finances of the Corporate Affairs Commission and there are discrepancies.
“How many entities are registered in this country? How many? How much were you reporting there and you are taking us with levity”.
Mr Musa thereafter walked the four directors of the CAC out of the venue of the committee’s sitting.
Support PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
Donate
TEXT AD: Call Willie – +2348098788999
