Reps threaten NiMet, FHA, SON, 19 others with zero allocation in 2026 budget

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended removing 2026 budgetary allocations to 22 federal agencies due to alleged persistent accountability failures.

The recommendation followed a public hearing on Thursday, where the committee reviewed audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Some of the affected agencies are the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), citing persistent accountability failures.

Others are the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC); Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development; Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; Federal University of Gashua; Federal Polytechnic, Ede; Federal Polytechnic, Offa; Federal Medical Centre, Owerri; Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi; Federal Medical Centre, Bida; Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi; Federal Medical Centre, Katsina; and the Federal Government College, Kwali.

The Federal Government Boys’ College, Garki, Abuja; Federal Government College, Rubochi; Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Owerri; Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria; and the FCT Secondary Education Board are other institutions listed for budget exclusion

The agencies were said to have ignored repeated invitations and failed to respond to issues raised in the reports.

Chair of the committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun), said the agencies failed to provide key financial documents and declined to appear before lawmakers to clarify audit observations on breaches of Financial Regulations, due process violations, and weak internal controls.

He added that several institutions have not submitted audited financial statements for periods ranging from 3 to 5 years or more, contrary to statutory provisions.

According to Mr Salam, the National Assembly cannot continue to approve funds for agencies that disregard transparency and oversight.

“Public funds are held in trust for the Nigerian people. Any agency that fails to account for previous allocations, refuses to submit audited accounts, or ignores legislative summons cannot, in good conscience, expect fresh budgetary provisions,” he said, stressing that accountability is a constitutional duty.

He explained that the committee’s recommendation is intended to enforce compliance and strengthen fiscal discipline, not to punish institutions.

The PAC maintained that its position aligns with the Financial Regulations 2009 and the constitutional oversight powers vested in the National Assembly.

A long-standing issue

The issue is part of a longer history of evasion and non‑compliance by federal agencies, as lawmakers have, over time, struggled to secure engagement from several federal agencies over accountability concerns.

Earlier in 2025, the House PAC publicly indicted 31 MDAs over financial violations amounting to over ₦103 billion and $950,912.05, in the Auditor‑General’s 2019 and 2020 reports, noting that many of the institutions involved had failed to submit audited financial statements or comply with follow‑up legislative queries.

The violations include unauthorised expenditures, procurement and contract irregularities, and unremitted revenues.

The revelations called for wider public scrutiny, leading to a detailed PREMIUM TIMES research analysis of the individuals at the helm when significant funds went missing or were mismanaged.

Meanwhile, in December 2025, the House erupted into a tense session when the PAC chair informed lawmakers that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had repeatedly ignored invitations to explain discrepancies uncovered in the management of the Remita revenue collection system and unremitted operating surpluses, a matter that underscored chronic non‑compliance by key institutions with oversight demands.

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In the same vein, the PAC gave six agencies a 72‑hour ultimatum to appear before it after they repeatedly avoided responding to a ₦21 billion audit query flagged by the Auditor‑General, sparking a tense floor session in the House.

More broadly, in June 2025, the committee revealed that more than 60 per cent of federal MDAs consistently failed to comply with financial regulations, leaving over ₦250 billion unaccounted for, and highlighting unresolved virements and audit queries as signs of systemic fiscal indiscipline.

The committee has publicly lamented that the backlog of unresolved audit queries and unauthorised virements has grown over successive fiscal years, eroding public trust and weakening democratic institutions.