House of Reps Committee Rejects N5.112bn Budget for Auditor General’s Office
By Gloria Essien, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has rejected the N5.112 billion total budget for Office of the Auditor General of the Federation as contained in the 2023 Appropriation Bill currently being considered by the National Assembly.
The committee summoned the minister of Finance, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh and the Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Nwabueze, giving the trio a seven-day ultimatum to appear and explain why the budget of such a strategic office should be so meagre.
The Auditor General of the Federation, Andrew Onwudili had while briefing the Chairman of the Connittee, Hon. Wole Oke, said that though the office proposed a total budget of N11.151 billion, what the budget office approved and put in the budget was N5.112 billion.
According to him, the office had proposed a personnel cost of N3.041 billion as against the N2.349 billion contained in the budget, a proposal of N5.59 billion for overhead costs as against the N2.113 billion, and a proposal of N2.52 billion against the N62.70 million contained in the budget estimates.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Oke said: “It is very important at this point in time to state clearly, our observations. We want to observe that, the government of President Buhari was elected based on his promise, determination to tame corruption, to humble corruption in our country.
“And one of the institutions, as a matter of fact, the fundamental institution which the crafters of our constitution put in place under Section 85 is the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation. By Act of the Parliament, we have created ancillary institutions like ICPC, EFCC to work with the products, with the findings of the Office of the Auditor General’s office after due consideration by the Parliament.
He called it a deliberate effort to undermine the office of the Auditor General.
“It is very unfortunate that we have noticed the concerted effort, determination to undermine the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation. To eradicate, to repeal illegally the Supreme audit institution of this country.
“Otherwise, why would you allocate several billions to ancillary institutions and you are giving N62 million to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation to fund Capital? They have to go Cap in Hand to pay workers? They are understaffed, they are undermined? They cannot conduct performance audit. As we speak, this office is yet to lay their reports in respect of 2022 and 2021 financial years,” he argued.
Oke said this administration was “determined to wage war against corruption. We cannot see how we intend to achieve the objectives, based on which budget is formulated. Speaking to law, facts and issues. Procurement Act…Section 2021 (18) taken together is the bedrock for budget formulation. Sub-Section 18 an agency of government is expected to conduct needs assessment, conduct market survey, arrive at your needs and ensure that, they are embedded in the annual budget.
“If the Auditor General of the Federation has conducted needs assessment in terms of personnel, in the areas of working tools and have office in all the 36 States and the FCT and they came to the conclusion about what they need and submit same to the Budget Office, and the Budget Office violated that same principle, Procurement Act and now reduced the Capital requirements of this agency to N62 million, reduced their Overhead by N3 billion and gave the agencies of government that are doing virtually nothing billions of Naira, there is no other way to tell Mr President that his lieutenants are working against him.
“Or, are they telling Nigerians, that even the objectives laid by Mr President is determined to undermine this Supreme audit institution? Otherwise, Mr President would have assented that Bill presented to him, and this would have given the Auditor General’s office it’s rightful place in our country.
He continued: “We reject this budget.This budget cannot work. The Auditor General of the Federation, the minister of finance, the two of them are hereby summoned to appear before this committee, to come and tell Nigerians. The minister of finance, the DG Budget, the Accountant General of the Federation, the three of them should appear before this committee and tell Nigerians why they are undermining the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
“Why the office has not been staffed? Why they are not being given the tools required to work to weed corruption in the land? They have to tell Nigerians? Why the EFCC office and ICPC are being funded more than the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation? We’ll not accept it. It can’t be business as usual.
“We are here to support President in his bid to humble corruption, to weed corruption out of the land. We owe him a duty of care to expose any of his lieutenants working against him. This is our position.
“Auditor General, you have to re-appear when the minister of finance, the DG Budget office and the Accountant General are here. They have to tell Nigerians why they are funding agencies created by the Act of parliament and underfund a constitutional body? And I am giving them seven days to appear please.
“Your budget performance have been submitted to sub-committee for review. Our findings will be communicated to you. Include the Head of Service in the summon,” he stated.
