The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has decried inadequate funding of the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF).
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Solomon Adeola (ACN-Lagos), said in Abuja on Sunday that corruption would be minimised if the office was adequately funded and given the necessary autonomy.
Adeola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the office had been reduced to a mere agency of government without commensurate funding for its duties.
“If we have an office of the AGF that is well funded, that is truly independent with serious minded people who are ready to prosecute offenders, corruption will be reduced to 70 per cent,’’ he said.
According to him, the audit department remains one of the major vital organs of any government office.
He said the current office of the AGF was handicapped in discharging its statutory responsibilities, adding that quality of staff of the office was also low.
“You always find the staff of the office trying to compromise in the field because of poor remuneration.’’
Adeola stressed the need for the office to be placed on the First Line charge, to get its funding directly from the federation account.
The lawmaker said it was only the office of the AGF that was empowered by law to recommend auditors to government offices.
He said the committee was investigating some serious financial improprieties allegedly committed between 2005 and 2009 by some government agencies.
The chairman reiterated the committee’s readiness to discharge its responsibilities without fear or favour.
NAN reports that the committee has asked the Accountant-General of the Federation to appear before it to defend queries issued to some government agencies. ?
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