Senate President Godswill Akpabio has warned ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of the government against non-compliance with Senate resolutions.
He said compliance with legislative resolutions was not optional but binding on MDAs and other public institutions.
Mr Akpabio stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2nd national workshop organised by the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance.
The workshop had the theme “Consolidating Strategies for Strengthening Legislative Compliance by MDAs.”
Mr Akpabio, represented by Osita Ngwu, the Senate minority whip, said compliance was a constitutional obligation owed by all arms and levels of government to the people of Nigeria.
”Let me state emphatically that compliance with legislative resolutions is not optional. It is absolutely fundamental.
“Our laws, policies, and oversight functions are meant to guide the execution of government programmes in a manner that ensures transparency, equity, and effectiveness.
“When departments and agencies fail to comply with legislative directives, they undermine not just the authority of the legislature but the collective will of the Nigerian people we all represent,” he said.
The Senate president stressed the need for public institutions to work closely with the National Assembly to develop an egalitarian society.
“When public institutions ignore legislative resolutions, when compliance becomes selective, and when oversight is treated with disdain, the result is a breakdown in trust.
“As the President of the Senate, I give you full assurance that the National Assembly remains unwavering in its resolve to ensure that its resolutions are not only respected but also implemented.
“The days of impunity must give way to the reign of institutional discipline. However, enforcement must be accompanied by engagement,” he said.
Ede Dafinone, the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance chairman, decried the non-compliance of some MDAS to National Assembly resolutions.
“These actions not only undermine the authority of the legislature but also weaken the very foundation of our democratic institutions,” he said.
Mr Dafinone urged MDAs to collectively work towards bridging the gap between legislation and execution for good governance, institutional effectiveness, and the benefit of the Nigerian people.
Francis Usani, director of fraud risk assessment, prevention and control, who represented the chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said democracy can only be sustained where laws are made and obeyed.
“Where laws are made but not complied with or implemented, there will also be anarchy,” he said.
(NAN)
