By Haruna Salami
The Senate Public Accounts Committee, SPAC has strongly warned ministries, department and agencies, MDAs of the Federal Government with audit queries from the Auditor General of the Federation on audited report that there will be not sacred cow in carrying out its duty.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide gave the warming when the committee met with MDAs that have audit queries from Auditor General of the Federation 2015-2018 report currently before the committee on Tuesday.
According to Senator Urhoghide, the committee was dealing with the 2015 audited report sent by the Audit General of the Federal, adding that “errant agencies have been invited to answer the Auditor General’s query”.
“We are going to subject all of you to the same procedure. The 2015 report will be laid before the senate after the committee’s work and thereafter sent to the executive arm of government”.
“The senate is determined to clear all the backlog of Auditor General’s report. Answering these queries by proxy will not be allowed since there are consequences” as those who are found culpable will be recommended for removal. “If you are not cleared, you will be charged.”
Meanwhile, 14 agencies were invited for the Tuesday public hearing. They are Accountant General of the Federation, CBN, DPR, PPPRA, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, National Bureau of Statistics NBS, NNPC, Debt Management Office DMO, National Pension Commission, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate PTAD, Head of Service of the Federation and INEC. They are to face the Auditor General to answer the queries before the committee
At Tuesday’s meeting heads of most of the agencies were either absent or represented by other officers, a situation not acceptable to the committee, making the chairman to direct that the heads of the aforementioned agencies must appear before it to answer the queries Thursday February 13, 2020 at 2.00 pm.
