The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has strongly condemned what it described as “the continued disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly” by the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji.
The Committee also ordered the immediate suspension of recruitment by the NRS, threatening to “invoke Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution” to enforce its functions if the revenue service boss continues to disregard its directives. Section 88 of the Constitution empowers the two chambers of the National Assembly to conduct investigations to expose corruption, inefficiency, or waste in government, while Section 89 grants both the authority to compel testimony, summon witnesses, and issue warrants.
At its meeting held on Wednesday at the National Assembly in Abuja, the Committee, which is chaired by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase said its latest directive followed the persistent refusal of the NRS chairman to honour legislative summons.
The Committee said it had in a letter dated 15th July, 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting” requested the NRS boss to submit to it a comprehensive and up-to-date nominal roll of the service. It also requested Dr. Adedeji to appear before it yesterday, but he was absent during the meeting.
The House Committee had in the same communication to the NRS boss listed seven previous letters to him, which were duly acknowledged in his office. The series of previous letters to him were dated 13th of October, 2023; 7th November, 2023; 14th March, 2024; 3rd July, 2024; 16th July, 2024; and another one of 1st April, 2026 with reference number NASS/HR/CT.40/03/14.
It accused the NRS boss of refusing to respond appropriately to the requests in the said letters despite acknowledgement by his office.
The ongoing legislative friction involves multiple issues, including controversial recruitment waivers granted by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to the NRS.
The committee recalled that it had expressly directed the Commission to refrain from granting any approvals or waivers to the NRS.
At yesterday’s meeting of the House Committee, the Chairman of the FCC, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran was also absent. In a message to the Committee, the FCC chairman cited official travel and subsequent illness as reasons for her absence.
But the committee noted that Hon. Omidiran’s latest absence follows a series of invitations and official communications that were not honoured, describing the repeated failure to appear as “unacceptable and inconsistent with the standards of accountability expected of public office holders”.
The committee described the FCC’s granting of recruitment waivers to the NRS boss as “a direct affront to the constitutional oversight responsibilities of the House of Representatives and a disturbing disregard for the authority vested in the National Assembly by the Nigerian people”.
Consequently, the committee issued a fresh directive yesterday to the FCC to immediately suspend all recruitment activities being conducted by the Nigeria Revenue Service until its leadership appears before the committee to account for its actions and comply with the constitutional oversight process.
Rep Wase stated that the House of Representatives will not stand by while public institutions choose which constitutional directives to obey. He emphasised that legislative oversight is not optional, nor is it a matter of convenience for heads of government agencies.
“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 stated.
The committee warned that persistent refusal by public officials to honour invitations from the House of Representatives set dangerous precedents, erode public trust in democratic governance, and undermine the constitutional system of checks and balances that safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.
The committee reiterated its resolve to deploy every constitutional and legislative mechanism available to ensure compliance with its lawful directives and to protect the integrity of the oversight responsibilities entrusted to it by the Nigerian people.
Sources within the National Assembly said the NRS boss’ refusal to appear before the Committee may result from “gross violation” of extant rules relating to previous recruitment exercises by the service.