Reps Threaten To Sanction Edun, Kyari, Others Over Agric Funds Spending
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating agricultural subsidies, intervention funds, aids and grants has threatened to sanction the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Auditor-General of the Federation, Shaakaa Chira, over their failure to fully cooperate with an ongoing probe into the spending of agricultural funds.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Jamo Aminu, summoned the trio to appear before it over the expenditure of funds released for agricultural programmes between 2015 and 2025.
The lawmakers expressed concern over gaps in documentation and accountability records presented during the resumed hearing held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Aminu faulted the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation for failing to provide comprehensive audit reports on several agricultural subsidy and intervention programmes within the period under review.
He said the absence of detailed records had hindered the committee’s ability to effectively trace fund disbursements, utilisation, and outcomes.
According to him, the investigation is part of broader efforts by the House to strengthen oversight of public spending in the agricultural sector, especially amid rising food prices, worsening food insecurity, and persistent concerns about the impact of government intervention programmes.
He stressed that transparency and accountability in the management of public funds were non-negotiable.
Responding to the concerns, a deputy director in the Auditor-General’s office, Mohammed Adamu, attributed the delay in producing audit reports to the non-availability of essential documents from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
He explained that repeated requests for relevant records had not yielded the required cooperation from the ministry.
Adamu further urged the committee to widen the scope of the investigation to include both the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance, noting that they play critical roles in the release, management, and oversight of agricultural funds.
He said access to complete documentation from the two ministries was crucial to concluding the audit process.
Consequently, the committee directed the Auditor-General, alongside the Ministers of Agriculture and Finance or their designated representatives, to appear before it on Tuesday next week.
The lawmakers warned that failure to honour the summons would attract legislative sanctions in line with the powers of the National Assembly.
