* Petitions ICPC, EFCC to recover N103bn, $950,912 from MDAs
By Chesa Chesa
A civic organization fostering accountability in Nigeria – Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) – has commended the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Nigeria’s House of Representatives for completing the review of the Auditor-General’s Reports for 2019 and 2020.
This marks the first time since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 that the federal legislative arm has completed such a comprehensive audit oversight; an important milestone for transparency, accountability, and democratic governance, PLSI noted in a statement it issued on Wednesday.
“We welcome the resolution by the House of Representatives to indict 31 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) over ₦103.8 billion and $950,912 in financial infractions.
“Following the resolution of the Parliament, PLSI will petition the EFCC and ICPC to move swiftly to recover the unaccounted funds bothering largely on procurement violations, internal control failures, unauthorized expenditures, and mismanagement. PLSI will ensure anti-corruption agencies do the needful to recover the funds”, said the statement.
PLSI also noted that the development presents a renewed opportunity to institutionalize audit impact in Nigeria by enforcing recoveries and sanctions where necessary; accelerating passage of the Federal Audit Service Bill to give legal and financial autonomy to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation; and ensuring timely audit report submissions, reviews, and legislative consideration.
“While there’s much more to be done, PLSI believes that this milestone reflects growing political will to restore integrity to Nigeria’s public finance management ecosystem. We urge the Nigerian Senate to speedily concur to the Audit Bill already passed by the House of Representatives and transmit it to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.
“Public accountability cannot thrive where audit reports are delayed, and oversight efforts are not backed by strong laws. We applaud the PAC Chairman, Hon. Bamidele Salaam, for his exceptional leadership and the diligence of the Committee members in pursuing this important national assignment. We believe this is what democracy demands, and citizens deserve nothing less than value for money in public service delivery”, the statement added.
