The opinion, sought by the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) and the Public Enterprises Committee (PEC), settles the growing dispute over whether the government can ignore Parliament’s directives.
According to the legal interpretation, Section 109(d) of the 1997 Constitution empowers the National Assembly to investigate the conduct of government and exercise oversight—a power that includes the right to demand implementation of its resolutions once they are adopted by the full Assembly.
The advisory clarified that while Parliament cannot prosecute or enforce penalties directly, the executive is constitutionally bound to act on the Assembly’s findings and recommendations.
“Once adopted in plenary, a committee report becomes the official decision of Parliament, the executive cannot legally override or ignore such resolutions,” the opinion stated.
The legal advice followed the executive’s lukewarm response to Parliament’s inquiry into the illegal importation of 36,953.614 metric tons of petroleum worth $30 million, which MPs described as a test of constitutional accountability.
Lawmakers were reminded that if the government fails to comply, Parliament retains powerful tool votes of censure, budget withholding, and ministerial summons to enforce its will.
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