NAN-H-108
Budget
By EricJames Ochigbo
Abuja, Feb. 23, 2017 (NAN) The public accounts committee of the House of Representatives has expressed dissatisfaction over the low budgetary allocation to the Office of Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF).
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Ibrahim Baba (Bauchi -APC), made this known during the defence of the office’s budget on Thursday in Abuja.
Baba expressed the committee’s disappointment with the budgetary allocation of N2.7 billion to the auditor general’s office and stressed the need to increase it to enable it to function effectively.
Cue in audio 1 (Baba)
“Honestly, auditor general, I am not happy or the committee is not happy with your funding.
“The total budget of the auditor general is not even representing one item in one of the MDAs and prevention is always better than cure.
“We are going to request the executive to give you more funds so that it will even reduce the job of the anti-corruption agencies.’’
Cue out audio 1
Baba said the committee would collaborate with its counterparts in the Senate to ensure that more funds were allocated to the office so that it would be able to carry out its constitutional functions optimally.
Similarly, Rep. Sunday Adepoju (Oyo-APC) noted that it was impossible for the office to monitor the finances of more than 500 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and foreign missions with the amount earmarked allocated to the agency.
Cue in audio 2 (Adepoju)
“I think we are not serious in this nation at all.
“The auditor general, as I term it, is the police of the nation as far as the financial antics are concerned.
“Look at the amount budgeted and appropriated for them in 2016; N2.7 billion out of which personnel cost took more than 80 per cent of the money and these people are to monitor the utilisation of N6 trillion.
“Upon this, this amount was not released in total; how do you expect the auditor general to function?’’
Cue out audio 2
He said allocating less than one per cent of the total national budget to the agency was not acceptable, commending the office for the achievements made so far.
Also, Rep. Solomon Maren (Pleateau-PDP) said it was disheartening that a country listed as one of the most corrupt in the world would allocate less than 0.1 per cent of her budget to police finance.
He described the huge allocation to the EFCC and ICPC as reactive measures saying that it was proactive to fund the office of auditor general as it will reduce the work of other anti-corruption agencies.
The lawmaker stressed the need for the office to be granted autonomous status.
He then urged the committee members to take all necessary steps to achieve the objective.
The Auditor General of the Federation, Mr Anthony Ayine, had earlier observed that the financial resources allocated to the office to discharge its duties were declining yearly.
He recalled that in 2012 when the national budget was N4.9 trillion, only N3.06 billion, representing 0.068 per cent of the entire budget, was allocated to the office.
Ayine further said that in 2013 when the national budget was N5 trillion, N3.6 billion, representing 0.07 per cent of the total budget was allocated to the office.
He added that in the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 budgetary allocations, only 0.17 per cent, 0.07 per cent, 0.4 per cent, and 0.03 per cent of the total national budget were allocated the agency correspondingly.
Ayine said a close collaboration between the agency and the committee was key to achieving the much desired transparency and accountability in the management of the nation’s finances. (NAN)
EOO/LAB/YEE
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Emmanuel Yashim
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