By Gift Chapi Odekina
The House of Reps committee on Public Accounts has vowed to name and shame every Ministry, Department and Agency of government who has failed render its audited accounts and also failed to honour invitations by the commitee to its public hearing.
The chairman of the committee Rep. Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun), stated this while delivering a keynote address at the public hearing into alleged deliberate and reckless refusal by non Treasury Funded MDAs to render audited accounts to the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation
While expressing displeasure over the failure of some accounting officers of some of the invited MDAs to be at the hearing, the chairman lamented the MDAs stayed off despite adequate notice in newspaper advertorials and invitation letters.
He said the refusal of the agencies to render their audited accounts not only violated the constitution but a deliberate efforts to sabotage governance in the country, adding that any Agency refusing to honour the committees invitation will find their names in the pages of papers.
“We will name and shame such MDAs, it shows that you are hiding something. We are only asking you, bring your audited accounts, show us proof.
“Do we have to wait for Mr President to wade in when clearly we have the constitutional mandate. You people will like to be CEOs but why don’t you like to render accounts, I will like to commend the CEOs that are here”.
“You can discharge your duties when it comes to spending money but when it comes to accountability, you shy away.
“How would the Auditor General be able to present a fair position on the state of our finances”, he worried.
He said that the refusal by some partially funded and revenue generating agencies of the federal government was a flagrant violation of the constitution.
Oke, who described the statistics of violations as alarming noted that the development indicated an outright disregard for the constitution which was the grand norm of the country.
While declearing the hearing open, the Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila who was represented by the deputy leader of the house, Rep expressed displeasure over failure by some MDAs to submit their audited account.
“When Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government fail to fully adhere to the law, we create circumstances for our citizens to believe that the actions we take are intended not to the service of the greater good but for the private interest of such persons.
“This belief undermines the individuals commitment to the ideals of our nationhood, the House of Representatives has resolved to use its Constitutional authority to ensure that the Executive live up to their duty of proper finances or finance care according to the laws of land,” he added.
