The Nigerian Senate has suspended the 2025 budget defence for the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAGF) due to irregularities and lack of preparedness on the part of Shaakaa Chira, the Auditor-General, and his team.
The suspension may result in a zero allocation for the OAGF as the Senate had set Wednesday, January 22, 2025, as the deadline for budget defence submissions to allow the Appropriation Committee to consolidate reports from various Committees.
Ahmed Wadada, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, halted the proceedings, citing discrepancies in the documents presented and the Auditor-General’s inability to provide satisfactory answers regarding the 2024 budget performance.
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Wadada said, “There were clear lapses in the documents provided.
“The Auditor-General is expected to audit other agencies, but his own office is not meeting the standard. He has until the deadline to return prepared.”
Several senators raised concerns about the discrepancies and spending patterns in the OAGF’s budget documents.
Kaka Shehu (Borno Central Senatorial District) queried the agency’s transparency, particularly its lack of accountability for unused funds from 2024 while requesting a new allocation for 2025.
“You audit other people’s accounts, but who audits yours?” Shehu asked. “How do you justify seeking new funds without clarity on the funds not accessed from 2024?”, Shehu asked.
Senator Ipalibo Banigo also highlighted potential duplications in budget items, such as drugs and medical supplies, despite the OAGF staff being covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“I noticed NHIS contributions in your personnel costs alongside separate allocations for drugs and medical consulting.
“This appears to be duplication, and I’d like clarification”, Banigo said.
Additionally, Efe Dafinone (APC, Delta Central) criticized the irregular spending patterns in the OAGF’s budget, particularly on office dictionaries and medical consulting, where significant expenditures were made in the last two months of the year.
“As an auditor with over 30 years of experience, it’s concerning to see 65-70% of the budget spent in the final months, which suggests rushed, last-minute spending,” Dafinone said.
Senator Isunazo moved a motion to suspend the budget defence, citing the committee’s role in auditing the OAGF.
“The discrepancies in the documents and the inability to provide detailed explanations for 2024 spending make it impossible to proceed,” Isunazo stated.
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The Committee unanimously adopted the motion, with Wadada affirming, “The budget defence is suspended until these grey areas are addressed. The Auditor-General and his team must present revised details before we can consider passing their budget.”
Wadada also reminded the OAGF of the urgency, as all sub-committees must finalise their submissions to the Appropriation Committee by Wednesday.
“This suspension is final until the issues are resolved,” he said.
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