Reps move to grant financial autonomy to Auditor General

The House of Representatives is expected to commence debate on a bill that seeks to grant financial autonomy to the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF).

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.

The private member bill sponsored by Hon Oluwole Oke seeks to amend Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by introducing a new subsection.

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) stated 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.

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