Senate has commenced the probing of 774 Federal Agencies over alleged Financial Improprieties.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Senate is currently investigating 774 federal government agencies over alleged financial improprieties in queries raised against them in the 2019 report of the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF).
The Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), Senator Aliyu Wadada (SDP Nasarawa West), disclosed this yesterday in his country home in Keffi, Nasarawa State, while responding to questions from journalists.
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Wadada said while the panel is determined to discharge its responsibilities diligently in the best interest of the country, it is not out to victimise anyone.
He said that the 10th National Assembly with the support of President Bola Tinubu and critical stakeholders in the nation’s economy would soon embark on the amendment to the 2007 Procurement Act to block loopholes of financial infractions before they take place.
He nevertheless appealed to heads of government agencies at the federal, states and local government levels to embrace the spirit of self-discipline and fear of God in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Senator representing Nasarawa West said no matter how beautiful a law is, it would take godly citizens to implement it.
Wadada said: “When I became the Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), I was emphatic on the need for President Bola Tinubu to appoint the substantive Auditor General for the Federation (AuGF).
“I even wrote a letter to that effect to the President and he responded by appointing a substantive Auditor General for the Federation (AuGF).
“The AuGF reports for the 2020, 2021, 2022 fiscal years were not all ready. It was only the 2019 Auditor General’s report that was then ready for us to take actions on.
“The Auditor General’s report for 2020 was ready at the time I became the Senate Public Account Committee but it could not be signed by the acting Auditor General for the Federation.
“As we talk, the 2020 Auditor General’s report is ready and the substantive AuGF has appended his signature to it.
“The development is a confirmation that the Presidency under the stewardship of President Bola Tinubu is available, responsive and supportive of the committee on public accounts in the two chambers of the National Assembly.
“We have since started work on the 2019 Auditor General’s report before us.
“Under my chairmanship of this sensitive and strategic committee, I have repeatedly said that we are not out to witch-hunt or pull down anybody.
“Our ultimate objective vis-a-vis the primary focus of the committee is to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
“All we are out for is to identify what went wrong in the past, how they went wrong. Going forward, what measure do we take to forestall their reoccurrence? That’s all.”
“I have been quiet about the activities of the committee because the sensitive nature of our assignment does not permit us to be talking anyhow.
“If we talk about or say everything we see in the reports of the Auditor General, we might end up setting the citizens against the government.
“So many things are wrong, not only because of corruption per se, some are systemic in nature.
“What we have in most cases is garbage in and garbage out. If financial reports are not well documented to produce the required results in an audit, that means something would go wrong.
“We are seriously working on the assignment before us. So far, some level of achievements had been recorded and we are still engaging with heads of ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government.”
