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The Senate on Thursday passed the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill.
This followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Public Accounts Committee.
The proposal which emanated from the House of Representatives seeks to grant autonomy to the Auditor-General for the Federation and establish the Federal Audit Service Commission. It also aims to repeal the Audit Ordinance Act of 1956 and the Public Accounts Committee Act of 1990.
The proposal was passed by the 7th National Assembly but was not signed into law by then President Goodluck Jonathan.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo State), said the bill will strengthen the Office of the Auditor General in order to fight corruption.
According to him, the bill will promote transparency and sanity in a lot of institutions and promote good governance.
The proposal empowers the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation to express an opinion on whether the financial statement prepared by the government of the federation fairly represents the financial position and results of operation; carry out audit of all revenues accruing to the Federation and all expenditures of the Federation from all sources; carry out audit of donations, grants and loans accruable to the Federal Ministries, departments and agencies or other public entities; carry out performance audit by ensuring that Federal Government and its agencies business is economically, efficiently and effectively performed; carry out audit on classified expenditure; carry out forensic audits; carry out audit of international institutions to the extent of Nigeria’s contribution to such bodies; carry out audit of all Federal government and its agencies subsidies and their application; carry out audit of all federal government and its agencies’ counterpart funded projects in the country; carry out audit of all Nigerian embassies, consulates and foreign missions; carry out audit of performance information; carry out audit of disaster related grants and aids and carry out audit of public private partnership entered into by the Federal government and its agencies assets and promote good governance.
Similarly, the Bill outlines the powers of the Auditor-General to include: powers to select the methodology to be adopted in respect of an audit; determine the nature and extent of audit to be carried out and request details, account statements and financial statements, that he considers necessary; request in writing, any person in the employ of the Federal ministries, departments and agencies and international institutions whose accounts are being audited by the Office of the Auditor-General to make an appearance at a specified place and time; or produce such records, books, vouchers and documents under the control of that person; investigate and make extracts from any record, book, document and other information of any federal ministries, department and agencies or international institutions whose accounts are being audited by the Office of the Auditor-General; liaise with persons, federal ministries, departments and agencies or other entities and international institutions in Nigeria or outside Nigeria, on such conditions as he deems fit for the proper performance of his functions; surcharge the amount of any expenditure which has not been duly brought into account or the amount of any loss or deficiency incurred; direct the withholding of the emoluments and allowances of persons who fail or refuse to reply to audit queries in 30 days and for as long as the person fails to comply; have restricted access to persons, documents, records and other information necessary for proper discharge of statutory obligations; audit all money accruing to the nation or federal ministries, agencies and departments or other public entities and international institutions as well as audit donations, grants, loans and other forms of assistance accruable to the federal government agencies, ministries and departments.
Speaking after the bill was passed, Senate President Bukola Saraki who presided over the session, said the proposal will strengthen the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration.
His words: “Today is a landmark achievement in the fight against corruption. This is will bring accountability and probity in the finances of the government and the fight against corruption.
“I must commend all the members of the National Assembly, both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This will go a long way in ensuring the independence of the office of the Auditor-General and will ensure that the Auditor-General has access to different parastatal agencies.
“We truly have to block all the various leakages. We have to ensure that we get this to Mr. President to get his assent. We have gone a long way in this administration in our fight against corruption, and it is commendable that the National Assembly are the sponsors and movers of this very important Bill, which we can see has been outdated for many years. We will continue to play our part in this fight against corruption for the sake our country”.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
