House Orders Halt to NRS Recruitment Over Oversight Dispute

(NRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji. News Express)

The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, has come under heavy fire from the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character for what it called "the continued disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly."

Additionally, the Committee threatened to "invoke Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution" to enforce its responsibilities if the revenue service chief disregarded its orders, and it ordered the immediate halt of recruiting by the NRS.

The Constitution's Section 88 gives the National Assembly's two chambers the right to look into allegations of corruption, inefficiency, or waste in government; Section 89 gives both chambers the jurisdiction to demand testimony, call witnesses, and issue warrants.

The House of Representatives Committee on National Assembly Matters, chaired by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, disclosed at its sitting on Wednesday at the National Assembly in Abuja that its latest directive stemmed from the continued refusal of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) chairman to appear before it despite repeated summons.

The committee explained that in a letter dated 15th July, 2026, titled "Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting," it had asked the NRS boss, Dr. Adedeji, to submit a full and current nominal roll of the service's staff.

He was also invited to appear before the committee on Wednesday, 22nd July, 2026, at 2:30 p.m., at Meeting Room 247, Second Floor, New Extension, House of Representatives wing of the National Assembly Complex. However, he was absent from the meeting.

In the same correspondence, the committee listed seven earlier letters sent to the NRS chairman, all of which it said were acknowledged by his office.

These letters were dated 13th October 2023, 7th November 2023, 14th March 2024, 3rd July 2024, 16th July 2024, and 1st April 2026, with the last bearing reference number NASS/HR/CT.40/03/14.

The committee accused him of failing to respond appropriately to these communications despite acknowledgement.

The lingering dispute between the lawmakers and the NRS boss touches on several issues, notably contentious recruitment waivers granted to the service by the Federal Character Commission (FCC), even though the committee said it had previously directed the commission to withhold such approvals.

The FCC chairman, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, was also absent from Wednesday's meeting.

She informed the committee that she was unable to attend due to official travel and a subsequent illness.

The committee, however, noted that her absence followed a pattern of unheeded invitations and communications, describing the repeated non-appearance as unacceptable and inconsistent with the standards of accountability expected of public office holders.

The committee further described the FCC's approval of recruitment waivers for the NRS as a direct affront to the constitutional oversight responsibilities of the House of Representatives and a disregard for the authority the National Assembly holds on behalf of Nigerians.

It consequently directed the FCC to immediately halt all recruitment activities at the NRS until its leadership appears before the committee to account for its conduct and comply with the oversight process.

Rep. Wase maintained that the House would not tolerate public institutions selectively obeying constitutional directives, stressing that legislative oversight is neither optional nor a matter of convenience for agency heads.

He stated that the National Assembly represents the voice of the Nigerian people and that its oversight powers are binding rather than symbolic, adding that no agency, commission, or official is beyond the reach of parliamentary scrutiny or above the Constitution.

The committee cautioned that the continued refusal of public officials to honour its invitations sets a dangerous precedent, weakens public confidence in democratic governance, and threatens the constitutional checks and balances that protect Nigeria's democracy.

It reaffirmed its commitment to using every available constitutional and legislative tool to enforce compliance with its directives and safeguard its oversight mandate.

Sources within the National Assembly suggested that the NRS chairman's reluctance to appear before the committee may be linked to alleged breaches of existing regulations governing past recruitment exercises within the service.

A newspaper report published on 30th January, 2026, titled "Revenue Service appointments flout new law," had earlier revealed that the appointments of five of the NRS's six Executive Directors violated Part IV, Section 17(1) of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act.

The law requires that each Executive Director represent a distinct geopolitical zone and that the Executive Chairman and any Executive Director must not originate from the same state, a requirement the report said was breached in five instances.

Following these allegations, a non-governmental group, Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria, filed a suit at an Abuja High Court challenging the legality of the affected appointments.

The group is seeking an order barring the officials in question from carrying out their duties or parading themselves as Executive Directors of the NRS pending determination of the case.

The President, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the NRS are listed as defendants in the suit.