Worried that some Government agencies and institutions are not respecting it’s oversight powers, especially in terms of ensuring fiscal accountability, the House Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Finance has berated the management of Rivers State University for ignoring it’s invitation to appear before it.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Major Jack, made this known during the audit exercise embarked on by the Committee.
He threatened that the House would not hesitate to invoke relevant sections of the constitution in sanctioning agencies of Government, who fail to honour its invitations and cautioned Rivers State University against a repeat of such action.
He reminded the institution of sections 125 to 129 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that give the House the mandate and authority to invite Government Institutions and expressed belief that Rivers State University would respect that fact.
Similarly, Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon Edison Ehie, while commending agencies that turned up for the exercise, lauded the Rivers State Government for prompt release of funds to the MDAs
“one major observation is to the effect that the Rivers State Government has been fair, has been firm and has been up to date with releases of both capital and overheads for the effective running of these agencies,” he said.
Those that appeared before the Joint Committee are State Accountant General, State and Local Government Auditors General, and a delegation from the Ministry of Finance.
Others include the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, the Judicial Service commission and the Rivers State Civil Service Commission.
