It Will Never Happen Again – CAC Registrar Issues Apologies To Senate After Outrage Over Snub

The Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, on Monday apologised to the Senate Committee on Finance for failing to honour its previous invitations.

Magaji’s appearance before the committee followed a resolution by lawmakers asking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove him from office for what they described as his “repeated refusal” to honour legislative summons.

The committee had adopted the resolution during a budget defence session after a motion was moved by the senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, recommending that Magaji be reported to the President for immediate removal.

Chairman of the committee and senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, had accused the CAC boss of consistently ignoring invitations from the National Assembly.

The development heightened tensions between the commission and lawmakers, raising concerns about executive-legislative relations.

Appearing before the panel on Monday, Magaji tendered an unreserved apology, attributing his absence to a communication gap within the commission.

“I sincerely tender my apology. Sir, it is not our conduct; and it’s not my conduct. I hold this committee in high esteem,” he said.

“What happened that day, sir, is actually a miscommunication between our staff and the committee.

“I was coming from Lagos, and I asked them to call, to let the committee know that I am coming, because we received the letter a few minutes before that day.

“So I had to leave some of the activities that took me to Lagos and rushed back. Unfortunately, I came late.”

Magaji admitted that there were internal lapses in communication between the CAC and the National Assembly but assured the committee that corrective steps had been taken.

“I observed that I have issues internally in my commission concerning communication between the national assembly and my commission,” he said.

“And as a result of that, sir, we created an office now dedicated purposely as a liaison with the national assembly; so that something like that cannot happen again.

“This is my undertaking, sir, it will never happen again. I hold this committee with high esteem, and I took responsibility for what happened by tendering my apology, sir.”

Following his apology, several senators acknowledged his remorse and appealed to the committee to reconsider its earlier position.

The senator representing Plateau Central, Diket Plang, urged the panel to give Magaji another opportunity to correct the lapses.

Similarly, former Senate Leader and senator representing Kebbi North, Yahaya Abdullahi, warned that while the apology was commendable, legislative summons must never be ignored.

Subsequently, the senator representing Kogi East, Isah Jibrin, moved a motion to rescind the committee’s earlier recommendation for Magaji’s removal.

The motion was seconded by the senator representing Katsina North, Nasir Zangon, and was unanimously adopted by the committee.

In his remarks, Musa reiterated the constitutional authority of the National Assembly to summon and hold public officials accountable.

“The National Assembly is above everyone else,” he declared.

“The Constitution empowers this institution to hold the President and other officeholders accountable, including impeachment if necessary. No one should take this committee for granted.”