Lawmakers Summon Finance Minister, Accountant General, Others, Allege Buhari's Appointees Frustrating Anti-corruption War

Reject reduction of OAuGF proposed budget

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) yesterday issued a 7-day ultimatum to the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; the Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh; Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, and Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, to appear before it and explain why the budget of Office of the Auditor General of the Federation should be meagre.

The summon followed the disclosure at the 2023 budget defence session by the Auditor General of the Federation, Andrew Onwudili, that the audit office proposed budget was slashed by the Executive.

The Auditor General, Onwudili had while briefing the lawmakers disclosed that though the office proposed a total budget of N11.151 billion for 2023, what the Budget Office approved and put in the budget was N5.112 billion.

According to him, the office had proposed personnel cost of N3.041 billion as against the N2.349 billion contained in the budget; a proposal of N5.59 billion for overhead costs as against the N2.113 billion, and a proposal of N2.52 billion against the N62.70 million contained in the budget estimates.

Frowning at the development, the Committee Chairman, Oke, said the budget slash was not acceptable and would be rejected by the parliament.

He alleged that there were concerted efforts to undermine the OAuGF and eradicate, repeal illegally the supreme audit institution of the country.

Oke specifically said the parliament had seen the alleged determination of the lieutenants of President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly the Minister of Finance, the DG Budget Office, to undermine his determination to wage war against corruption on the land.

He wondered why the government appointees would allocate several billions to ancillary institutions and are giving N62 million to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation to fund Capital.

He, therefore, ruled that the above named government appointees should appear within seven days to justify the alleged deliberate attempt to cripple the auditing agency.