The Senate Committee on Finance has directed the Inspector General of Police to summon the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Garba Lawal, within 24 hours.
Sani Musa, the chairman of the committee, was enraged when the Registrar General turned down the committee’s invitation for the third time on Wednesday.
Lawal was scheduled to attend to defend the CAC 2024 budget after the committee discovered certain financial irregularities in the accounts filed that required further explanation.
Four top commission officials, despite having confirmed repeated letters of invitation from the Clerk of the Senate Committee on Finance, were unable to explain the Registrar General’s absence before the panel.
Senator Bello Mandiya of Katsina South senatorial district was irritated by the CAC chief’ contempt for the committee.
He said:
“I think it’s disrespectful of the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission to shun this committee for the third time.
“Even the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria appear before us to present a budget. Who is the Registrar General of CAC that cannot appear before us?”
Reacting, Senator Abdul Ningi advised the CAC officials not to come back without their Registrar General, urging them to let him face the heat and explain how they spent money in the agency.
According to Ningi:
“It is imperative to understand where they are coming from, that this is not the first time they are appearing before the committee.
“There was a deliberate discussion with you that there are discrepancies in revenue generation and expenditure by the Corporate Affairs Commission and we said the Registrar General should be here.
“Yet you are here and you probably told him that you could do the job. Even if you can do the job, this job is not for you, please. Don’t take the bullet that is meant for him.”
Speaking after reactions by the committee members, Sani Musa said: “With all sense of humility, the Corporate Affairs Registrar General has disregarded this committee.”
He noted:
“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.
“I have cause to tell the Secretariat to send you a letter; you appear here. When you came, you said the Registrar General just felt ill. I excused you expecting you are going to come back with the documents requested.
“You know what the financial regulation of this country is. I had cause to tell the Committee Secretariat to write you again and you are here without the Registrar General.
“You are the custodian of finances for 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?”
He subsequently declared: “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.”