A session in Nigeria’s House of Representatives descended into chaos and shouting on Wednesday following a motion to summon the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso.
Lawmakers are demanding his appearance to explain the alleged failure of the apex bank to remit a staggering total of N16.3 trillion in federal government revenue, an issue that has sparked significant controversy within the legislature.
The motion was brought forward by the Chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Bamidele Salam. He accused the CBN of withholding two main categories of funds: an operating surplus of N5.2 trillion accumulated between 2016 and 2022, and other federally collected revenues totaling N11.09 trillion.
According to Salam, these findings were uncovered during the PAC’s ongoing investigation into the 2022 Auditor-General’s report and its scrutiny of the government’s Remita revenue collection system.
Salam expressed strong displeasure, stating that the alleged non-remittance is unacceptable at a time when the nation faces severe revenue shortages, insecurity, and pressing infrastructure needs. He emphasized that the CBN Governor had repeatedly ignored formal invitations from the committee to provide explanations. Consequently, the motion sought to compel Cardoso to appear before the full House on Tuesday, December 16, to account for the funds and present a concrete repayment plan.
However, the proceedings turned rowdy when another lawmaker, Hon. Ghali Mustapha Tijjani, proposed an amendment. He suggested that instead of appearing before the full House, the CBN Governor should be summoned before a smaller, ad-hoc committee. This proposal triggered immediate and vocal objections from numerous members, leading to a near-chaotic atmosphere in the chamber.
The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, struggled to maintain order amidst the shouting and commotion. He admonished members for their behavior, warning them against embarrassing the legislative institution and threatening disciplinary action against specific lawmakers if the disorder continued. After repeatedly calling for decorum, the Speaker managed to restore a semblance of order to proceed with parliamentary procedure.
Following the restored order, another amendment was proposed by Hon. Ahmed Jaha, which was seconded.
This amendment called for the CBN Governor and officials responsible for the Remita system to appear specifically before the Public Accounts Committee.
After the question was put to a vote, this amended version of the motion was adopted. As a result, the CBN Governor and relevant officials are now formally summoned to appear before the House Public Accounts Committee on December 16 to address the allegations concerning the N16.3 trillion in unremitted funds.
