The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has ordered the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), while threatening to invoke its constitutional powers against the agency’s Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, over his repeated failure to honour legislative invitations.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, accused the NRS chairman of showing continued disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly. According to a report by Daily Trust, the lawmakers said Adedeji had ignored several invitations and requests for official documents relating to the service.
At a meeting in Abuja, the committee warned that it would rely on Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution to compel compliance if the NRS chairman continued to disregard its directives. The provisions empower the National Assembly to investigate government agencies, summon witnesses and compel the production of relevant documents.
The committee said its latest invitation, contained in a letter dated July 15, 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting,” directed Adedeji to submit a comprehensive and updated nominal roll of the NRS and appear before the committee on July 22. However, the NRS chairman failed to attend the meeting.
Lawmakers said the latest invitation followed at least seven previous letters sent to the agency between October 2023 and April 2026. Although the letters were reportedly acknowledged by the NRS, the committee alleged that the agency failed to respond appropriately.
The dispute centres on recruitment exercises and waivers reportedly granted to the NRS by the Federal Character Commission (FCC), despite an earlier directive by the House prohibiting such approvals.
Also absent from Wednesday’s meeting was the FCC Chairman, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, who reportedly informed the committee that she could not attend due to official travel and illness.
The committee, however, described her repeated failure to appear before lawmakers as unacceptable, noting that she had ignored several previous invitations.
The lawmakers further condemned the FCC’s decision to grant recruitment waivers to the NRS, describing the action as a direct affront to the constitutional oversight responsibilities of the House of Representatives.
Consequently, the committee directed the FCC to ensure the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities being conducted by the NRS until the leadership of both agencies appears before the committee to explain their actions and comply with the legislative oversight process.
Speaking at the meeting, Wase warned that the National Assembly would not tolerate public institutions selectively obeying constitutional directives.
“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 said.
He added that the persistent refusal of public officials to honour legislative invitations undermined democratic governance, weakened public confidence and eroded the constitutional system of checks and balances.
The committee reaffirmed its determination to deploy every constitutional and legislative mechanism available to enforce compliance and protect the integrity of the National Assembly’s oversight responsibilities.
Meanwhile, sources within the National Assembly suggested that Adedeji’s refusal to appear before the committee may be linked to allegations of irregularities in previous recruitment and appointment exercises within the NRS.
The controversy follows an investigative report published by Daily Trust on January 30, 2026, which alleged that the appointment of five of the six Executive Directors of the NRS contravened Section 17(1) of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act.
The law requires each Executive Director to represent a different geopolitical zone and prohibits the Executive Chairman and any Executive Director from originating from the same state. The report alleged that five of the appointments violated the statutory provisions.
The appointments are now the subject of a suit before an Abuja High Court filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria. The organisation is seeking to restrain the affected Executive Directors from performing their duties pending the determination of the substantive case.
The President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Revenue Service are listed as defendants in the suit.
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