News
Management of our public resources is a panacea for entrenching enduring culture of public accountability-AuGF
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Auditor General for the Federation, Shaakaa Chira has said
management of our public resources is a panacea for entrenching an enduring culture of public accountability
Speaking at a National Workshop on Trends in Public Sector Accounting, Auditing and Public Sector Reforms organized by Public Accounts Committee, PAC, of the HoR in collaboration with the Office the Auditor General for the Federation in Lagos, Chira said:
“Improved efficiency in the management of our public resources, a panacea for entrenching an enduring culture of public accountability.
” On my part as the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF), I am pleased to announce that I have initiated series of reforms, since assumption of duties, aimed at repositioning the OAuGF for efficient service delivery.
“At the centre of these reforms, is timely submission of quality audit reports to the National Assembly (NASS); to enable them perform their oversights as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). In view of the foregoing objective, it was very easy for the Chairman, PAC (House of Rep.) and I to agree on the need to organise this workshop to further entrench, a culture of prudent management of our nation’s financial resources.
” It is on this premise that I see this workshop as a win-win situation for key stakeholders who are desirous of strengthening our public accountability.
“Further to the submission of high-quality audit reports, it is also my determination to make the OAuGF a model Institution, that will earn public confidence through professional conduct of its audit/periodic checks as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant regulations.
“I came to this position because I was well aware of the general concerns of the auditees, being a person that rose through the ranks to become the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF). This underscores the first Circular I issued as the AuGF with Ref. No. 928/99/CONF/VO.II/38 dated 2nd January, 2024, on ‘CENTRALIZATION OF ISSUANCE OF AUDIT ENGAGEMENT LETTERS’.
“The Circular under reference has a twin benefits of helping my Office to track the conduct of audit and ensure timely submission of reports as well as reducing incidences of multiple audit visits to one Agency in a year.
“The implication of the Circular is that any letter for audit assignment not signed by me should not be honoured and in case you are in doubt of any letter for audit, feel free to contact me before granting access to the team.
“I must add that occasionally, due to public outcry or peculiar nature of some projects/programmes, a special team(s) may be set up by the Auditor-General for the Federation to specifically audit such projects/programmes with a view to submitting special report(s) to the National Assembly. In such situations, you should not be taken aback.
“On this workshop, I want to assure our Distinguished Participants, that the papers that will be presented and the Resource Persons were carefully selected to keep you abreast of violations that constitute audit queries as well as the modus operandi of the PAC public hearing. Other areas include but not limited to the rudiments of knowing the reporting framework that is appropriate for your MDA, and an overview of key public sector financial management reforms.
“The Resource Persons, especially, are practitioners with considerable on the job experiences and are more than capable of doing justice to their respective papers.
“Another major advantage of this workshop is that it is coming shortly after both the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Auditor-General for the Federation issued separate Circulars on submission of stand-alone annual financial statements by the MDAs with effect from 2023 financial year. The Resource Persons from the two Offices will attend to all your concerns regarding the two Circulars in particulars and other matters connected thereto.
“At this juncture Distinguished Participants, it is my humble appeal that you make the best of this rare opportunity, where the Chairman of the PAC (House of Representatives), the AuGF and the Accounting Officers are in one room for a few-days, to x-ray matters that bothers on public accountability. Let us therefore make this workshop very interactive and participatory.
“Finally, I want to thank, once again, the Chairman of the PAC, House of Representatives for this initiative and the Accounting Officers that made it to this workshop. I have no doubt that, going forward, there will be improved efficiency in the management of our public resources, a panacea for entrenching an enduring culture of public accountability.
News
Reps Quiz Federal Polytechnics Damaturu, Mubi, Monguno Over Infractions
By Gloria Ikibah
News
Obasanjo narrates how he escaped becoming drug addict
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict.
He spoke in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.
Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.
The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.
“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.
“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.
“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
He cautioned against stigmatization and urged individuals who are already addicted to psychoactive drugs to get help.
News
We saved $20bn after Petrol Subsidy Removal and FX Rate Reforms, Says Finance Minister
Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.
Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.
“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.
“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”
-
News22 hours ago
Simon Ekpa: FG’s attempt to extradite self acclimated freedom fighter may hit brickwall
-
Politics21 hours ago
Hardship: PDP Governors seek review of governance policies
-
Politics22 hours ago
INEC Announces Date To Resume Nationwide Voter Registration
-
Metro21 hours ago
Nigerian Woman Arrested, Detained In Libyan Capital With 2Kg Of Cocaine
-
Foreign22 hours ago
Trump picks Scott Bessent, the ‘investor favorite,’ for Treasury secretary
-
News22 hours ago
Retired 85-year-old Col bags P.hd
-
News22 hours ago
Minimum wage: Yobe Gov approves N70k for workers
-
Foreign22 hours ago
Winter storm kills one, disrupts travel across Ireland, France, UK