Finance and agriculture ministers and the nation’s auditor-general have been summoned to account for funds released between 2015 and 2025.

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating Agricultural Subsidies, Intervention Funds, Aids and Grants Programmes, issued the summons at a public hearing in Abuja on Tuesday.

The officials or their designated representatives are expected to appear before the committee on February 3.

The lawmakers warned that failure to honour the invitation would attract legislative sanctions in line with the National Assembly’s powers.

In his ruling, the chairman of the committee, Jamo Aminu (APC-Katsina), explained that the hearing was part of efforts to scrutinise public spending in the agricultural sector. According to the lawmaker, the interventions were designed to boost food production, support farmers, and strengthen national food security.

He said that the hearing became necessary given concerns about food insecurity, rising food prices, and questions about the effectiveness of past intervention programmes.

The chairman frowned on the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation’s inability to provide audit reports on several agricultural subsidy and intervention programmes within the period under review.

He said that the committee expected comprehensive audit documentation to enable it track disbursements, utilisation and outcomes of the various schemes.

“We cannot effectively carry out this investigation without proper audit records. These funds span a decade and involve critical national programmes. Transparency of the process and accountability are non-negotiable,” he said.

A deputy director from the OAGF, Mohammed Adamu, blamed the failure to file proper reports on the agriculture ministry.

According to him, it was due to the non-availability of key documents that the ministry should have supplied.

The deputy director said that the OAGF had repeatedly requested relevant records on agricultural subsidies, grants, aids and intervention programmes but had not received the required cooperation.

“The primary source of these documents is the ministry of agriculture. Without those records, concluding the audit process has been difficult,” he said.

(NAN)