National
Sign new audit service bill into law, Group tells Tinubu
Bola Tinubu
Audit experts have expressed concerns over the delay in the passage of the new Federal Audit Service Bill and called on President Bola Tinubu to accent to the bill to enable it
replace the 1956 Audit Act for compliance purpose.
The new Audit Service Bill which seeks to compel compliance with the deadlines for submission of the audit reports outlined in the constitution had been on the floor the 9th assembly, but was not signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari before he left office.
Speaking at the just concluded third Audit Reporting Training organised by FrontFoot Media Initiative in Abuja, a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr Ismaila Muhammadu Zakari, said the expedient signing of the new Federal Audit Service Bill will not only result in compliance, but would also engender effective public sector auditing that would enhance democracy in Nigeria through excess checking and strengthening the citizen trust and confidence in he government.
Zakari who spoke on behalf of Mr Babatunde Kolawole, ICAN Fellow and a partner at HLB Z.O. Ososanya and Mr Yusuf Doma, ICAN Fellow and Head of Internal Audit at Premium Pension Limited, Abuja, and Mrs Umeshie Bernadine Anikwe, an accountant and educationist expressed his discountenace as the Federal Government is equally lagging behind in its duties, having not audited the federation account since 2019 with no explanation and the failure of many local governments to submit audit reports stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.
According to Zakari, a constitutional resolution and ammendment in line with the new bill will enable governors and the president take responsibility for presenting the respective audit reports to the legislature at the appropriate time.
Saying that such constitutional resolution would no doubt change the attitude of those in government by compelling them to comply with the provisions of the Bill, but also act within the ambient of the constitution.
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