Abbas Seeks Adequate Funding of Auditor-General’s Office to Ensure Accountability

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has called for adequate funding for the office of Auditor General of the Federation (oAuGF) as part of effort to ensure accountability and effective use of public funds.

Abbas stated this yesterday, in Abuja at the official unveiling of the House Committee on Public Accounts (PAC).

The Speaker who was represented by his Deputy, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, pledged solidarity with the oAuGF said the National Assembly was interested and committed to the office of the Auditor general.

His words: “What’s adequate for that job to be done, fully well, is at least one percent of the total budget of the federal republic of Nigeria. We are talking about N218 billion, that is what that office needs.

“That’s what that office needs if they must do the job and do it very well. We are committed as people with the power of the purse to review the budget of the Auditor General office, unless we don’t want about the 900 MDAs to be well over-sighted.”

Abbas said as the civil society mentioned, most of these MDAs were not touched,.saying  the issue was due to lack of adequate resources for the auditor general’s office to get the job done.

He noted, “We should not make them magicians, we should equip them sufficiently to pursue the money of Nigeria so that the work of the National Assembly will be easier.”

The Speaker assured that the PAC under the 10th Assembly was committed to deepening its engagement with the Executive Arm of government to ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government uphold the principles of accountability, transparency, and prudence in the management of public finance.

He stated: “The recent passage of the Federal Audit Bill to repeal the 1956 Audit Ordinance was in line with this commitment. The PAC’s mandate is very broad and expansive. It covers all aspects of government finance, including the collection, expenditure, and accounting of public funds. The PAC also has the power to investigate any financial irregularities, regardless of where they occur in the government.”

Also, the Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Bamidele Salam, decried the non-consideration of the PAC reports for 25 years.

To this end, he vowed to ensure paradigm shift by ensuring timely submission of the reports.

The lawmaker called on the House leadership to liaise with the Executive to fast track the appointment of substantive Auditor General of the Federation, noting that Dr. Onwudili Ogochukwu has been acting in the capacity as Auditor General for over one year.