Reps Move To Grant Financial Autonomy To Auditor General

Abuja: By Segun AJAYI

Published, Friday, September 29, 2023

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES would soon commence debate on a bill that seeks to grant financial autonomy to the   Auditor General of the Federation (AGF).

 The private member bill sponsored by Hon Oluwole Oke, member representing Obokun Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State and the immediate past Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts,PAC, seeks to amend Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by introducing a new subsection.

The proposed legislation further seeks to subject all expenditures of the Auditor-General for the Federation to appropriation procedures and disbursement of funds on a first-line charge basis.

It provides that (7)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 6 of this Section, the Committees of both Houses ‘of the National Assembly responsible for public accounts shall exercise oversight over the activities of the Auditor-General for the Federation.”

Section 85(7)(b) states that: “In furtherance on the powers conferred on the Committees of both Houses of the National Assembly responsible for public accounts, the Committees shall appoint an independent external auditor every year to audit the accounts, financial statements, and financial management and performance information of the Auditor General.”

Section 85(7)(c) provides that “All expenditure of the Auditor-General for the Federation must be authorised by an Appropriation Act, Supplementary Appropriation Act or an Act passed in pursuance of section 81 of this Constitution, and the release of appropriated funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund shall be on a first line charge basis.

This Bill seeks to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by amending section 85 to include a new subsection 7 (a), (b), and (c), which introduces provisions for the appointment of an external auditor to audit the accounts, financial statements, and financial management and performance information of the Auditor-General for the Federation.