Reps halt NRS recruitment, threaten sanctions against Adedeji over snub

The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has directed the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to immediately suspend its ongoing recruitment exercise, warning that it may take constitutional action against the agency’s Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, for repeatedly ignoring invitations from the National Assembly.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, said Adedeji had consistently failed to appear before the lawmakers or submit requested official documents, describing the conduct as a disregard for the constitutional oversight powers of the legislature.

Speaking during a committee meeting in Abuja, Wase stated that the panel would invoke Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution if the NRS leadership continues to ignore its directives.

According to the committee, the constitutional provisions empower the National Assembly to investigate the activities of government agencies, summon public officials, demand the production of relevant documents and, where necessary, issue warrants to enforce compliance.

According to the committee, a letter dated July 15, 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting,” directed the NRS chairman to submit a comprehensive and up-to-date nominal roll of the service and appear before the committee on July 22. However, Adedeji failed to attend the meeting.

The lawmakers noted that the latest invitation followed at least seven previous letters sent to the NRS between October 2023 and April 2026, all of which were acknowledged by the agency but allegedly ignored.

The committee said the ongoing dispute centres on recruitment exercises and waivers reportedly granted to the NRS by the Federal Character Commission (FCC), despite an earlier directive from the House prohibiting such approvals.

Also absent from Wednesday’s meeting was the Chairman of the FCC, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, who informed the committee that she was unable to attend due to official travel and illness.

The committee, however, described her repeated failure to appear before lawmakers as unacceptable, noting that she had ignored several previous invitations.

Lawmakers further condemned the FCC’s decision to grant recruitment waivers to the NRS, describing it as “a direct affront to the constitutional oversight responsibilities of the House of Representatives” and a disregard for the authority vested in the National Assembly.

Consequently, the committee directed the FCC to ensure the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities being conducted by the NRS until the leadership of both agencies appears before it to explain their actions and comply with the oversight process.

Speaking at the meeting, Wase warned that the House would not tolerate public institutions choosing which constitutional directives to obey.

“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,” he said.

He added that persistent refusal by public officials to honour invitations from the legislature undermines democratic governance, weakens public confidence and erodes the constitutional system of checks and balances.

The committee reaffirmed its determination to deploy every constitutional and legislative mechanism available to enforce compliance and protect the integrity of the National Assembly’s oversight responsibilities.

Meanwhile, sources within the National Assembly suggested that Adedeji’s refusal to appear before the committee may be connected to allegations of irregularities in previous recruitment and appointment exercises within the NRS.

The controversy follows an investigative report published by Daily Trust on January 30, 2026, which alleged that the appointment of five of the six Executive Directors of the NRS contravened Section 17(1) of the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act. The law requires each Executive Director to represent a different geopolitical zone and prohibits the Executive Chairman and any Executive Director from originating from the same state.

The report alleged that five of the appointments violated the statutory provisions.

The appointments are now the subject of a suit before an Abuja High Court filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisations of Nigeria, which is seeking to restrain the affected Executive Directors from performing their duties pending the determination of the substantive case. The President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Revenue Service are listed as defendants in the suit.

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