House of Representatives has summoned Minister of Finance,
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Malam Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi and the Director-General of Budget Office in the Presidency, Dr.
Bright Okongwu, over allegations that they frustrated the audit of the 2012
Budget by withholding over N4 billion earmarked for the office of the
Auditor-General of the Federation.
The allocation to audit the 2012 Budget was N5.2 billion, but the Ministry of Finance, allegedly released only N892.5 million, a far cry from the proposed audit allocation.
The Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, who provoked the summons of the Public office holders with his testimony, also told the Committee that there was a zero allocation to his office in the 2013 Budget to audit the Federation Account.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Account, Solomon Adeola, declared that the committee was disturbed by the action of the minister, therefore, she has to appear today before the committee and give explanations on why the money was withheld.
Besides explaining why the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office and CBN released less than one per cent of the money meant for the audit of a N4.9 trillion Budget, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and others are to also shed light on why there is a zero allocation in the 2013 Budget for the audit of the Federation Account.
Ukura, who assumed office as Auditor-General on October 16, 2010, told the Committee that it was routine for the Finance Ministry to frustrate audit allocations to his office, a trend he said was threatening to render the federal audit office redundant.
According to Ukura, "The Auditor General's office cannot audit certain ministries because of a paucity of funds".
"With the meagre allocation to our office, we cannot even audit some Ministries," he said.
The Auditor-General also told the Committee that in 2012, his office "audited only 44 out 97 Foreign Missions, because of a paucity of funds".
The committee chairman, who advocated financial autonomy for the auditor's office was worried by revelations from Ukura, took turns to lash at a system that would frustrate the audit of its agencies' accounts.
The committee believed that budget ought to signpost our seriousness in tackling the issue of corruption headlong, but the Ministry of Finance and the Budget in their own strange wisdom have decided that the best thing to do is to frustrate the office of the Auditor General"
"There is a continuous attempt to frustrate and render the office of the Accountant General redundant. They(Ministry of Finance, Budget office) don't want the office to do their work, but there is a need for this committee to do their work", he committee added.
Adeola said that from the findings of the Committee, "The AGF is not even given the opportunity of fair hearing".
He alleged that the Minister of Finance and the DG Budget sit together to draw budget for the Auditor-General without giving him the opportunity to defend it".
The Committee, however, deferred consideration of a sum of N1.6 billion as the Committee's budget in 2013 as proposed by the Ministry of Finance.
The allocation to audit the 2012 Budget was N5.2 billion, but the Ministry of Finance, allegedly released only N892.5 million, a far cry from the proposed audit allocation.
The Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, who provoked the summons of the Public office holders with his testimony, also told the Committee that there was a zero allocation to his office in the 2013 Budget to audit the Federation Account.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Account, Solomon Adeola, declared that the committee was disturbed by the action of the minister, therefore, she has to appear today before the committee and give explanations on why the money was withheld.
Besides explaining why the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office and CBN released less than one per cent of the money meant for the audit of a N4.9 trillion Budget, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and others are to also shed light on why there is a zero allocation in the 2013 Budget for the audit of the Federation Account.
Ukura, who assumed office as Auditor-General on October 16, 2010, told the Committee that it was routine for the Finance Ministry to frustrate audit allocations to his office, a trend he said was threatening to render the federal audit office redundant.
According to Ukura, "The Auditor General's office cannot audit certain ministries because of a paucity of funds".
"With the meagre allocation to our office, we cannot even audit some Ministries," he said.
The Auditor-General also told the Committee that in 2012, his office "audited only 44 out 97 Foreign Missions, because of a paucity of funds".
The committee chairman, who advocated financial autonomy for the auditor's office was worried by revelations from Ukura, took turns to lash at a system that would frustrate the audit of its agencies' accounts.
The committee believed that budget ought to signpost our seriousness in tackling the issue of corruption headlong, but the Ministry of Finance and the Budget in their own strange wisdom have decided that the best thing to do is to frustrate the office of the Auditor General"
"There is a continuous attempt to frustrate and render the office of the Accountant General redundant. They(Ministry of Finance, Budget office) don't want the office to do their work, but there is a need for this committee to do their work", he committee added.
Adeola said that from the findings of the Committee, "The AGF is not even given the opportunity of fair hearing".
He alleged that the Minister of Finance and the DG Budget sit together to draw budget for the Auditor-General without giving him the opportunity to defend it".
The Committee, however, deferred consideration of a sum of N1.6 billion as the Committee's budget in 2013 as proposed by the Ministry of Finance.
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