NASS grants autonomy to Auditor-General

BOTH chambers of the National Assembly have passed
legislation granting administrative and financial autonomy to
Auditor General of the Federation and also establish the Federal
Audit Service Commission (FASC).

Senate passed the Audit Bill on Thursday, which had earlier been
passed by the House of Representatives.
The Bill will now be harmonised and sent to President Buhari for
assent.

Commenting on the passage of the Audit Bill, Senate President,
Dr Saraki who presided over the session, said the Bill would
strengthen the anti-corruption crusade of the present
administration.

“Today is a landmark achievement in the fight against
corruption. This 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 parastatals and agencies.

“We truly have to block all the various leakages. We have to
ensure that we get this (Bill) 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 is the
sponsor and mover of this very important Bill, knowing that the
Audit Ordinance of 1956 is outdated. We will continue to play our
part in this fight against corruption for the sake our
country.”

In a statement on Saturday, Auditor-General for the Federation,
Mr Anthony Mkpe Ayine while commending the National Assembly for
passing the Audit Bill, said the lawmakers have demonstrated great
support and commitment to President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts at
enthroning Accountability and Transparency as key pillars and
foundation for good governance in Nigeria.

“The passage of the Audit Bill by the National Assembly will
strengthen and enable the Office of the Auditor-General for the
Federation to make meaningful and impactful contributions towards
good governance through effective accountability because all
Nigerians desire good governance,” Mr Ayine stated, adding:

“There is no way you can talk about good governance without the
key pillars of accountability and transparency. So, with the
passage of the Audit Bill, when assented to by Mr President, the
Office will be properly positioned to deliver effectively on its
mandate, by making bigger and significant contributions to the
anti-corruption campaign of President Buhari’s Administration.

“The passage of the Audit Bill by the Senate is historic in
every respect in that by this act, the 8th National Assembly has
taken Nigeria away from the obsolete Audit Ordinance of 1956, which
we had relied upon till now; so the Senate which just passed the
Bill and the House of Representatives, which had earlier passed the
Bill deserve commendation by all Nigerians and lovers of
accountability and transparency,” Mr. Ayine stated.

The Auditor-General particularly praised the leadership of the
Senate and the House of Representatives for rallying the entire
National Assembly towards speedy passage of the Audit Bill, as well
as the Public Accounts Committees of the Upper and Lower Chambers
of the National Assembly for providing the groundwork for the Audit
Bill to be passed expeditiously.

When finally assented to, among the gains the Audit Act will
bring to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation
according to Mr Ayine, is the attraction of quality human capital
to the Office, which will result in the better application of
modern audit methods to the benefit of Nigeria.

“With Administrative and Financial autonomy, which will come
with the passage of the Audit Bill when assented to, added to the
legal autonomy which we already have by virtue of Section 85 of the
1999 Constitution (as amended), the Office will be able to attract
quality human capital at competitive standards to deliver quality
audit work to place Nigeria’s Supreme Audit Institution at the same
level with its peers in other countries in Africa and elsewhere in
the world,” Mr. Ayine added.

The Audit Bill, once assented to by the President, will repeal
the Audit Ordinance of 1956, and will empower and expand further
the scope of audit of the Supreme Audit Institution of Nigeria to
carry out audits of all revenues accruing to the federation,
expenditures of the federation from all sources, donations, grants
and loans accruable to the Federal Ministries, departments and
agencies as well as other public entities.

The Supreme Audit Intuition will also be empowered through the
new Audit Act to carry out performance audit by ensuring that the
operations and activities of the federal government and its
agencies are economically, efficiently and effectively
performed.

BOTH chambers of the National Assembly have passed
legislation granting administrative and financial autonomy to
Auditor General of the Federation and also establish the Federal
Audit Service Commission (FASC).

Senate passed the Audit Bill on Thursday, which had earlier been
passed by the House of Representatives.
The Bill will now be harmonised and sent to President Buhari for
assent.

Commenting on the passage of the Audit Bill, Senate President,
Dr Saraki who presided over the session, said the Bill would
strengthen the anti-corruption crusade of the present
administration.

“Today is a landmark achievement in the fight against
corruption. This 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 parastatals and agencies.

“We truly have to block all the various leakages. We have to
ensure that we get this (Bill) 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 is the
sponsor and mover of this very important Bill, knowing that the
Audit Ordinance of 1956 is outdated. We will continue to play our
part in this fight against corruption for the sake our
country.”

In a statement on Saturday, Auditor-General for the Federation,
Mr Anthony Mkpe Ayine while commending the National Assembly for
passing the Audit Bill, said the lawmakers have demonstrated great
support and commitment to President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts at
enthroning Accountability and Transparency as key pillars and
foundation for good governance in Nigeria.

“The passage of the Audit Bill by the National Assembly will
strengthen and enable the Office of the Auditor-General for the
Federation to make meaningful and impactful contributions towards
good governance through effective accountability because all
Nigerians desire good governance,” Mr Ayine stated, adding:

“There is no way you can talk about good governance without the
key pillars of accountability and transparency. So, with the
passage of the Audit Bill, when assented to by Mr President, the
Office will be properly positioned to deliver effectively on its
mandate, by making bigger and significant contributions to the
anti-corruption campaign of President Buhari’s Administration.

“The passage of the Audit Bill by the Senate is historic in
every respect in that by this act, the 8th National Assembly has
taken Nigeria away from the obsolete Audit Ordinance of 1956, which
we had relied upon till now; so the Senate which just passed the
Bill and the House of Representatives, which had earlier passed the
Bill deserve commendation by all Nigerians and lovers of
accountability and transparency,” Mr. Ayine stated.

The Auditor-General particularly praised the leadership of the
Senate and the House of Representatives for rallying the entire
National Assembly towards speedy passage of the Audit Bill, as well
as the Public Accounts Committees of the Upper and Lower Chambers
of the National Assembly for providing the groundwork for the Audit
Bill to be passed expeditiously.

When finally assented to, among the gains the Audit Act will
bring to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation
according to Mr Ayine, is the attraction of quality human capital
to the Office, which will result in the better application of
modern audit methods to the benefit of Nigeria.

“With Administrative and Financial autonomy, which will come
with the passage of the Audit Bill when assented to, added to the
legal autonomy which we already have by virtue of Section 85 of the
1999 Constitution (as amended), the Office will be able to attract
quality human capital at competitive standards to deliver quality
audit work to place Nigeria’s Supreme Audit Institution at the same
level with its peers in other countries in Africa and elsewhere in
the world,” Mr. Ayine added.

The Audit Bill, once assented to by the President, will repeal
the Audit Ordinance of 1956, and will empower and expand further
the scope of audit of the Supreme Audit Institution of Nigeria to
carry out audits of all revenues accruing to the federation,
expenditures of the federation from all sources, donations, grants
and loans accruable to the Federal Ministries, departments and
agencies as well as other public entities.

The Supreme Audit Intuition will also be empowered through the
new Audit Act to carry out performance audit by ensuring that the
operations and activities of the federal government and its
agencies are economically, efficiently and effectively
performed.