Senators rescind call for sack of CAC registrar after apologies

The Senate Committee on Finance has withdrawn its earlier call for President Bola Tinubu to sack Hussaini Magaji, Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), following his apology to lawmakers.

The development came during the budget defence session of the committee on Monday in Abuja, where Magaji appeared before the committee and offered a remorseful apology for previously failing to honour their invitations.

The committee had earlier expressed displeasure over what it described as Magaji’s repeated refusal to personally respond to official correspondence and attend committee meetings, often sending senior officers in his place.

Chairman of the committee, Sen. Sani Musa, said the earlier recommendation to call for Magaji’s removal was prompted by a perceived pattern of non-compliance.

However, shortly after the initial resolution, Magaji appeared before the committee, raising further discussions on the matter.

In his explanation, Magaji offered an unreserved apology, attributing the lapse to a communication gap between his organisation’s staff and the National Assembly liaison unit.

He explained that he was in Lagos when the invitation letter was received but immediately cut short his engagements and instructed staff to notify the committee that he was on his way, though he arrived late.

To prevent future occurrences, Magaji disclosed that a dedicated liaison office has been established to handle all matters relating to the National Assembly.

He assured lawmakers that such an incident would not recur, reaffirming his respect for the committee and taking full responsibility for the lapses.

Following his apology, several senators spoke in his defence. The motion to rescind the earlier call for his sack was moved by Sen. Isa Jibrin and seconded by Sen. Sani Daura, effectively resolving the issue.

The CAC Registrar-General was subsequently asked to reappear before the committee at a later date to defend his organisation’s performance for the 2024 and 2025 budgets, as well as the 2026 budget proposal.