ECOWAS lawmakers push for stronger accountability with public audit hearings

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the ECOWAS Parliament is set to conduct public hearings on audit reports submitted by the Community’s Auditor-General, according to  Osita Izunaso,  committee’s First Rapporteur.

Izunaso disclosed this after a three-day capacity-building workshop for committee members held in Accra, noting that members fully participated in the programme despite it being conducted outside the Parliament’s headquarters.

He explained that the scheduling of the inaugural public hearing will depend on when the Auditor-General formally submits relevant audit reports to the committee.

During the workshop, lawmakers undertook a comparative review of oversight systems across regional parliaments, including the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), and the ECOWAS Parliament itself.

Izunaso observed that, among these, only the European Parliament enjoys full institutional autonomy.

“Our powers are limited in terms of enforcement and implementation. We are looking at how to expand these issues, and one of the things we were told to do is to conduct oversight and hold public hearings”, he said.

He further noted that audit processes often involve sensitive considerations, as auditors may prefer not to be publicly identified when infractions are reported.

This, he said, underscores the need for properly finalised audit reports before hearings commence.

Izunaso added that the committee has resolved to hold regular meetings as it prepares for its oversight responsibilities.