The Civil Society Coalition on Audit in Nigeria (CSCAN) has called on the federal government, particularly the Executive and Legislature, to work collectively towards improving accountability mechanisms for the efficient use of public resources, effective implementation of public policies, and improved quality of life for Nigerians.
The Coalition, comprising over 120 CSOs and media organizations reviled “The Poor State of Accountability at the Federal Level in Nigeria” in Abuja on Friday, August 25, 2023.
Olusegun Elemo, Executive Director at Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) who spoke on behalf of the Coalition, decried the continued delay in appointing a substantive Auditor-General for the Federation. Olusegun stated, “What is currently happening at the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation is a clear breach of Constitutional provisions. Section 86(3) of the Constitution is explicit on how the Senate should authorize an individual to act in the Office of the Auditor-General, for not more than six months. The position of Auditor-General for the Federation became vacant on September 7, 2022, when Mr. Adolphus Aghughu retired. Since then, a substantive Auditor-General is yet to be appointed. Unfortunately, the public official leading the office at the moment is not doing so in an acting capacity but as Director Overseeing—a designation not recognized by the Nigerian Constitution”.
Also, Gabriel Okeowo, Country Director at BudgIT Foundation, expressed disappointment over the inability of the 9th Assembly to conclude legislative work on the Audit Service Bill 2022, thereby failing to submit the Bill to former President Muhammadu Buhari for assent before leaving office. The House of Representatives passed the Federal Audit Service Bill 2022 in December 2022, and the Senate gave concurrence on March 29, 2023. Still, political interests overrode the nation’s quest for a more potent and effective Supreme Audit Institution. The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation is not one to be politicized, and the more time it takes us to get an adequate legal framework for the Audit Office, the longer our hope for a renewed Nigeria is deferred.
Furthermore, Friday Odeh, Country Director at Accountability Lab Nigeria, disclosed that it is disappointing that, as of August 2023, the report of the Auditor-General for the Federation for 2020, 2021, and 2022 is yet to be submitted to the National Assembly. The audited accounts of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the last seven years (2016–2022) published by the apex bank on August 10, 2023, contains information showing a poorly managed institution. The oversight wheel of accountability at the federal level seems badly driven. We have no idea how public resources, processes, and policies have been utilized and implemented in 2020, 2021, or 2022. This situation certainly does not reflect the renewed hope of Nigerians for a thriving country.
The Civil Society Coalition on Audit in Nigeria (CSCAN) therefore requests the following actions be taken to address these public accountability issues:
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) should instruct the Federal Civil Service Commission to immediately conclude the recruitment process for the Auditor-General for the Federation, and the President should forward his nominee to the Senate for confirmation;
- The National Assembly should accelerate passage of the Federal Audit Service Bill and forward the Bill to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) for assent;
- The National Assembly should consider amending S.85(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to provide the Auditor-General with the power to audit statutory corporations, commissions, authorities, and agencies, including all persons and bodies established by an Act of the National Assembly, to avoid a repeat of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s dilemma;
- The Auditor-General for the Federation should immediately commence implementation of real-time audits of all palliative programmes put in place to cushion the effect of the removal of subsidy on petroleum motor spirit, as well as other social investment programmes.
