The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has ordered the immediate suspension of all NRS recruitment activities and warned that it may invoke its constitutional powers against Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, over his repeated failure to honour legislative invitations.
Led by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, the committee accused Adedeji of showing “continued disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly” by ignoring several invitations and requests for official records. Lawmakers said they would rely on Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, which empower the National Assembly to investigate government agencies, summon witnesses, demand documents and issue warrants where necessary.
According to the committee, a letter dated 15 July 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting,” instructed the NRS chairman to submit an updated nominal roll and appear before the committee on 22 July. However, he failed to attend. The lawmakers added that this followed at least seven previous letters sent between October 2023 and April 2026, all acknowledged by the agency but allegedly ignored.
The committee said the dispute centres on NRS recruitment exercises and waivers reportedly granted by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) despite an earlier House directive prohibiting such approvals. The FCC Chairman, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, also failed to attend the meeting, citing official travel and illness. Lawmakers described her repeated absence as unacceptable.
The committee criticised the FCC’s decision as “a direct affront to the constitutional oversight responsibilities of the House of Representatives” and ordered the immediate suspension of NRS recruitment until both agencies appear before lawmakers.
Wase stressed, “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.”
Meanwhile, National Assembly sources linked Adedeji’s absence to allegations surrounding previous appointments within the NRS. The controversy follows a Daily Trust report published on 30 January 2026, which alleged that five of the six Executive Directors were appointed in violation of Section 17(1) of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act. Those appointments are now being challenged in an Abuja High Court, where the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria is seeking to stop the affected officials from carrying out their duties until the case is decided.
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