The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character has ordered the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities by the Nigeria Revenue Service, NRS, and threatened sanctions against its Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, over his failure to honour legislative invitations.
The committee accused Adedeji of repeatedly ignoring summons and requests for official documents, warning that it would invoke its constitutional powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution to compel compliance if the NRS boss continues to disregard its directives.
At a meeting in Abuja, the committee, chaired by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, said the NRS chairman’s actions amounted to a “continued disregard for the constitutional authority of the National Assembly.”
The lawmakers said a letter dated July 15, 2026, titled “Request for Nominal Roll/Invitation to Meeting,” directed Adedeji to submit a comprehensive and updated nominal roll of the service and appear before the committee on July 22. However, he failed to attend the meeting.
The committee noted that the latest invitation followed at least seven previous letters sent to the NRS between October 2023 and April 2026. According to the lawmakers, the agency acknowledged receiving the letters but failed to respond to the requests.
The dispute centres on recruitment exercises and waivers reportedly granted to the NRS by the Federal Character Commission, FCC, despite an earlier directive by the House restricting such approvals.
Also absent from Wednesday’s meeting was the FCC Chairman, Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, who informed the committee that she could not attend due to official travel and illness.
The committee, however, criticized her repeated absence, stating that she had failed to honour several previous invitations.
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The lawmakers also condemned the FCC’s decision to grant recruitment waivers to the NRS, describing it as a disregard for the oversight powers of the National Assembly.
Consequently, the committee directed the FCC to ensure the immediate suspension of all recruitment activities by the NRS until the leadership of both agencies appears before it to explain their actions and comply with the legislative process.
Speaking at the meeting, Wase warned that the House would not allow public institutions to decide which constitutional directives to obey.
He said continued refusal by public officials to honour legislative invitations undermines democratic governance, weakens public confidence and threatens the system of checks and balances.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to using all available constitutional and legislative measures to enforce compliance and protect the integrity of its oversight responsibilities.
Meanwhile, sources within the National Assembly suggested that Adedeji’s refusal to appear before the committee may be linked to allegations of irregularities in previous recruitment and appointment exercises within the NRS.
The development 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 violated provisions of 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 being appointed from the same state. The report alleged that five appointments breached these requirements.
