The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has ordered the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), while warning that it could invoke constitutional powers against the agency’s Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, for repeatedly ignoring legislative invitations. The directive was issued during a committee meeting in Abuja chaired by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, where lawmakers accused the NRS leadership of showing persistent disregard for the oversight authority of the National Assembly.
The committee said it would rely on Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution to compel compliance if Adedeji continues to ignore invitations. The constitutional provisions empower the National Assembly to investigate government agencies, summon public officials, demand official documents and issue warrants where necessary.
According to the lawmakers, a letter dated July 15, 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting,” directed the NRS chairman to submit an updated nominal roll of the agency and appear before the committee on July 22. However, Adedeji failed to honour the invitation. The committee added that the latest summons followed at least seven previous letters sent to the NRS between October 2023 and April 2026, all reportedly acknowledged but ignored.
Lawmakers said the dispute centres on recruitment exercises and waivers allegedly granted to the NRS by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) despite an earlier House directive prohibiting such approvals. The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of FCC Chairman Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, who reportedly cited official travel and illness as reasons for missing the meeting.
Members described her repeated failure to appear before the committee as unacceptable and criticised the FCC for approving recruitment waivers for the NRS despite ongoing legislative concerns. As a result, the committee directed the FCC to ensure the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities by the NRS until both agencies appear before lawmakers to explain their actions.
Speaking during the session, Wase stressed that no government institution has the authority to choose which constitutional directives to obey. He maintained that the National Assembly’s oversight powers are binding and essential to ensuring accountability in public institutions.
According to him, repeated refusal by public officials to honour legislative invitations weakens democratic governance, undermines public confidence and erodes the constitutional system of checks and balances. The committee reaffirmed its readiness to deploy every constitutional and legislative mechanism available to enforce compliance and protect the integrity of parliamentary oversight.
Sources within the National Assembly suggested that Adedeji’s continued absence may be linked to allegations surrounding previous recruitment and appointment exercises within the NRS. The controversy follows an investigative report published by Daily Trust in January 2026, alleging that the appointment of five out of six Executive Directors violated Section 17(1) of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, which requires each Executive Director to represent a different geopolitical zone and bars the Executive Chairman and an Executive Director from coming from the same state.
Those appointments are now the subject of litigation before an Abuja High Court. The suit, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria, seeks to stop the affected Executive Directors from performing their duties pending the determination of the case. President Bola Tinubu, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Revenue Service are listed as defendants.
