Reps Summon Auditor-General, Ministers Over Missing Agriculture Fund Records

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating agricultural subsidies, intervention funds, aids and grants has summoned the Auditor-General of the Federation and the Ministers of Finance and Agriculture over what lawmakers described as glaring gaps in accountability for funds released to the sector between 2015 and 2025.

The summons followed what the committee termed unsatisfactory documentation and missing audit records presented during a resumed hearing at the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Expressing frustration over the development, the Chairman of the committee, Jamo Aminu, faulted the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation for failing to produce comprehensive audit reports covering several agricultural subsidy and intervention programmes spanning a decade.

Aminu said the investigation was part of the House’s oversight responsibility to scrutinise public spending in the agricultural sector, especially amid rising food prices, worsening food insecurity and growing concerns over the effectiveness of repeated government intervention schemes.

According to him, lawmakers expected detailed audit reports that would enable them to track how funds were released, utilised and the outcomes achieved by programmes aimed at boosting food production, supporting farmers and enhancing national food security.

“We cannot effectively carry out this investigation without proper audit records. These funds span a decade and involve critical national programmes,” Aminu said, stressing that transparency and accountability were non-negotiable.

Naijaonpoint reports, however, a Deputy Director at the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adamu, told the committee that delays in completing the audits were largely due to the failure of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to provide essential documents.

Adamu said the Auditor-General’s office had made several requests for records on agricultural subsidies, grants, aids and intervention programmes but had yet to receive the required cooperation.

“The primary source of these documents is the Ministry of Agriculture. Without them, concluding the audit process has been difficult,” he said.

He also urged the committee to broaden the scope of the probe to include both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance, noting that the two ministries played central roles in the release, management and oversight of the funds.

Following the exchange, the committee directed the Auditor-General of the Federation, alongside the Ministers of Agriculture and Finance, or their representatives, to appear before it on February 3.

Lawmakers warned that failure to honour the summons would attract legislative sanctions, in line with the powers vested in the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, which resumed plenary on Tuesday after the Christmas and New Year recess, pledged to prioritise key legislative reforms in 2026, including amendments to the Electoral Act, constitutional reviews and rigorous scrutiny of the 2026 budget.

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu made this known during the plenary session, which commenced with a valedictory sitting in honour of three late lawmakers, Godiya Akwashiki, Okechukwu Ezea and John Kojo-Brambaifa.

Kalu said amending the Electoral Act would be a major legislative focus in 2026, assuring that outstanding issues in the bill would be addressed to ensure a seamless electoral process.

He added that the House would also review select constitutional provisions and remain committed to translating the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda into tangible outcomes.

The Deputy Speaker further assured Nigerians that the House would subject the 2026 budget to robust oversight to ensure it delivers effective governance and promotes national development.