Forensic expert urges Buhari to assent to Federal Audit Service Bill

A forensic expert and President of the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN), Dr Iliyasu Gashinbaki, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to speedily assent to the Federal Audit Service Bill passed by the 9th Assembly in order to curb corruption in government establishments.

He said this is pursuant to section 85 of the Constitution that empowers the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation to audit Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Gashinbaki, who stated this at the 7th direct membership graduation ceremony of the institute in Abuja, explained that the pre-independence audit law known as “The Audit Ordinance Act of 1956” and The Public Accounts Committee Act, CAP P35, LFN 2004” as amended, did not give the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation enough leverage to function optimally.

He said the Bill once assented to, will empower the Auditor-General to carry out audits of all revenues accruing to the federation, expenditures of the federation from all sources, donations, grants and loans accruable to the MDAs or other public entities.

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Gashinbaki said the Federal Service Audit Bill was very crucial to the prevention of misappropriation of public funds and to aid the fight against corruption, adding that it will bring accountability and probity in the finances of the government and the fight against corruption.

“This will go a long way in ensuring the independence of the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrashhed Bawa, congratulated CIFCFIN on the signing of its charter into law by Mr President on 23rd December, 2022.

Bawa, represented by Gideon Dabi, noted that the occasion affords the commission the opportunity of engaging with relevant stakeholders in a much-needed conversation to raise an army of very diligent and dedicated men and women who would be in the field to join hands with the EFCC in fighting corruption.