AUDIT BILL WILL AID ANTI- CORRUPTION WAR

One of the cardinal agenda of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is the war against corruption. In fact, his desire to fight corruption was among the factors that gave him an edge over his co-contestants in the 2011 and 2015 presidential election. Arguably, the administration records some successes in the anti- corruption war, but definitely more still needs to be done to curtail corruption in Nigeria, particularly when government said corruption was fighting back.

For a thorough, genuine and successful anti-corruption battle, the audit process remains a very useful tool. Certainly, public service is about adding value to citizens and society, and about continuously increasing that value. To focus on the value that government adds, audit should be about the outcomes that benefit citizens and society and to which government activities contribute. It should also help all stakeholders play their part in continuously improving the value that governments add.

Meanwhile, where there are no proper checks through effective auditing, the value will be eroded, corrupt practices will thrive unhindered and the masses will be at the receiving end. To improve accountability, transparency and judicious utilisation of public resources, the Public Account Committee (PAC) of the Senate and House of Representatives and the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF) must carry out their mandate effectively.

In a bid to enhance the audit function and empower the

OAuGF to effectively discharge its constitutional mandate, the 8th National Assembly passed the Federal Audit bill and forwarded to the President for his assent. However, President Buhari neither assented nor declined assent to the bill. This singular act of non- assent to this all important bill is a cause for concern that perhaps President Buhari is not ready to institutionalise the anti-corruption fight.

No doubt, there was a missing link somewhere. It is either the president does not really mean his words on the war against corruption or he might have been wrongly advised on the essence of the audit law. Now that we are in the 9th Assembly, particularly with this synergy between the current leadership of the executive and legislative arms, it is time to resuscitate the bill with a view to clearing gray areas to make for a smooth passage by the National Assembly and ready for president’s assent.

The Chairman, Public Accounts Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, Senator Matthew Urhoghide and Hon Busayo Oluwole-Oke who co-chaired a session of stakeholders during a three-day Stakeholders Consultative/Technical Session on the Audit Bill organised for members and staff of the Senate and House of Representatives Public Account Committees and the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF) in Abuja with support of the Department for International Development’s Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (DFID-PERL), vehemently expressed the desire, commitment and determination to ensuring the enactment of audit law in the country.

Hameed Oyegbade, Osogbo, Osun State