The fight against corruption will not be complete if Nigeria does not have an effective audit law. President Muhammadu Buhari understands the role of audit in his anti-corruption fight hence the directive he issued at the inception of his administration to the Auditor General of the Federation, directing that all audit queries be responded to by the MDAs in 24 hours.

This directive was borne out of countless unresponded audit queries to the MDAs whose financial and procurement activities are defined by fraud and irregularities.

Limitless numbers of probes have been conducted on key agencies of government indicting them of malpractices of different sorts. Unfortunately the absence of an audit law has given rise to impunity in the use of public resources in the MDAs.

The audit bill 2015 was passed by the last Senate in January 2019, still awaiting the President’s assent. The proposed Audit law empowers the auditor general to amongst others; examine, investigate or undertake performance audits and report as he considers necessary on the expenditure of public funds and use of public resources by the MDAs or other entities and international institutions;

The conduct and performance of their functions by accounting officers, heads of the MDAs, other public entities and international institutions; The extent to which MDAs or other public entities and international institutions established by an Act of the National Assembly, is carrying out its activities; Any act of omission of the MDAs or other public entities and international institutions to determine whether waste has resulted or may have resulted or may result, Any act showing or appearing to show a lack of probity or financial prudence by MDAs, other public entities, international institutions or any of its members, office holders and employees; and Any other activity undertaken by the MDAs or other public entities and international institutions.

The audit bill when passed will subject the financial and programmatic reports of the MDAs to public scrutiny thereby ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of public resources. Currently, the Auditor General of the Federation does not have the powers to investigate or prosecute any erring public officials in the MDAs who have run afoul of the audit guidelines. Even the directive given by the President as stated earlier is not backed by law and can be violated without consequences.

The audit law when passed will not only guide the accounting officers and other responsible parties involved in the MDAs on the standard procedures in the application of public fund, it will also encourage performance in programmes and budgeting in the MDAs. The absence of proper auditing in the MDAs is also responsible for the fusion of unwarranted projects in the budget of most MDAs. Projects are not subjected to either procurement, financial or performance audits.

Hence, the MDAs repeat most projects that have been budgeted and executed previously in their annual budgets.

With this scenario, one would expect the President to quickly assent to the audit bill if he truly wants to fight corruption because 80% of his anti-corruption fight is being perpetrated at the MDAs. This has been proved with so many cases instituted by the EFCC against public officials in recent times.

If there are grey areas in the current audit bill, it is expected that the President should spot them and facilitate the process for quick reconciliation of these grey areas with the National Assembly as well as sign the bill into law.

This will be recorded as one of the landmark efforts in the current administration’s sustainable fight against corruption.

Victor Emejuiwe, Programme Officer (Good Governance), Centre for Social Justice, Abuja 08068262366