KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
Anthony Ayine, Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF) on Monday expressed concern over inadequate manpower to carry out audits of 471 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Out of total of 1,500 staff deployed to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation across the country, 193 officers are expected to retire before the end of 2018.
Ayine disclosed this during the 2018 budget defence held at the instance of the House Committee on Public Accounts.
Section 85(2) of the Constitution of the Federation Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), provides that the Public Accounts of the Federation and of all Offices and Courts of the Federation shall be audited and reported on by the Auditor-General who shall submit his report to the National Assembly; and for that purpose, the Auditor-General or any person authorised by him in that regard shall have access to all the books, records, returns and other documents relating to those accounts.
Similarly, section 85(4) of the Constitution stipulate that the Auditor-General shall have power to conduct Periodic Checks on all Government statutory corporations, commissions, authorities, agencies, including all persons and bodies established by an Act of the National Assembly. Furthermore, Section 301 vests the Auditor-General of the Federation with the power to audit the account of Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory.
Section 85(6) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, states that “in the exercise of his function under the Constitution, the Auditor General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person.”
He said: “it should be noted that the Federal Government of Nigeria has 471 parastatals and agencies and the AuGF is required to comment on their audited financial statements.
“Due to inadequate capacity and the complex nature of some of the accounts, the review and comment of the audited financial statements of some of the agencies have to be outsourced.
He explained that: “it is important to note that the current workforce will significantly be depleted when 54 officers and 139 officers retire from service this year.
“If no further recruitments are made to improve the strength of the workforce, this depleted workforce could constitute critical threats to the functioning of the office.
“For the office to function and achieve results, personnel cost budget ceilings of N1,909,022,726 should be replaced by a new personnel cost budget ceilings of N3,424,510,028.55.
In his remarks, Kingsley Chinda, chairman of the Committee stressed the need for adequate budgetary provisions for to discharge its statutory functions.
He said: “if this government truly wants to fight corruption, then it must properly fund the office of the AuGF.
“In the civilised clime, strong institutions are built not persons because here it’s who pays the piper that dictates the tunes and that is why the audit department should be independent of the three arms of government.
“We have concluded the audit Bill in the House and the Senate is seriously working on it and there is need for you to double your workforce,” he said.
