By Sunday Isuwa, Abuja
The Senate has ordered the arrest of the Registrar General of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Magaji, before it within 24 hours.
The Senate Committee on Finance, which made the order, also mandated the Inspector General of Police to compel the appearance of the CAC Registrar.
Senate Committee Chairman, Sani Musa expressed anger when the Registrar General shunned the Committee invitation for the third time on Wednesday.
The registrar was expected to appear to defend the Commission’s 2024 budget, but some financial discrepancies were spotted by the Committee in the book of accounts submitted and needed further explanation, a development that seems to have scared the CAC boss from appearing before the Committee.
The four senior officials of the Corporate Affairs Commission, having confirmed several letters of invitation by the Clerk of the Senate Committee on Finance, could not explain registrar’s absence before the panel.
Before Senator Musa’s remark, Ifeanyi called for punitive measures against the registrar to serve as a deterrent to others.
Senator Bello Mandiya representing Katsina South Senatorial District expressed frustration at the registrar’s disdain for the Committee, wondering what he was hiding that made him scared.
He said: “Thank you Mr Chairman, I am Senator Bello Mandiya representing Katsina South Senatorial District. I think it’s disrespectful to the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission to shun this Committee for the third time.
“Even the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria appears before us to present a budget.
“Who is the Registrar General of CAC that cannot appear before us?”
Reacting, Senator Abdul Ningi advised the CAC officials not to come back without the RG, urging them to let the CAC face the heat and explain how they spent money in the agency.
Ningi said: “Mr Chairman, it is imperative to understand where they are coming from that this is not the first time they are appearing before the Committee.
“There was a deliberate discussion with you that there were discrepancies in revenue generation and expenditure by the Corporate Affairs Commission and we said, the Registrar General should be here.
“Yet you are here and you probably told him that you can do the job. Even if you can do the job, this job is not for you please. Don’t take the bullet that is meant for him”.
“In his ruling after reactions by the Committee members, Sani Musa said: “With all sense of humility, the Corporate Affairs Registrar General has disregarded this Committee.
“Distinguished Colleagues, Corporate Affairs Commission was present when we treated MTEF/FSP and the Director of Finance was here. We saw discrepancies and we told you to go and come back.
“You have your book keepers; you have your records and we asked you to go and tidy up and report back, but you never did.
“I have cause to tell the Secretariat to send you a letter, you appear here. When you came, you said the Registrar General just felt ill, I excused you expecting you are going to come back with documents requested.
“You Know what the financial regulations of this country are. I had cause to tell the Committee Secretariat to write to you again and you are here without the registrar.
“You are the custodian of finances of the Corporate Affairs Commission and there are discrepancies.
“How many entities are registered in this country? How many? How much were you reporting there and you are taking us with levity.
“I am invoking Section 89(2) mandating the Inspector General of Police to compel the appearance of the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission before the Senate Committee on Finance within 24 hours.”
