Government-owned companies, agencies and parastatals in Ebonyi State have been warned against carrying out their financial auditing without recourse to the office of the State Auditor-General.
The warning was given by the Acting State Auditor-General, Uduma Samuel Udu, saying it violated the constitution.
He spoke on Tuesday during a zonal multi-stakeholders’ town hall meeting for the presentation of Ebonyi State citizens accountability report in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
The event was organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in partnership with Development, and Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation, a Civil Society Organisation, with support from the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The event was held in collaboration with the office of the State Auditor-General.
Presenting the report of the Auditor-General on the consolidated financial statement of the government of Ebonyi State for the year ended December 31, 2023, Udu stated that the government-owned companies and parastatals, including government tertiary institutions, statutory corporations, Commissions, Boards, Authorities, Agencies and all persons established by Law in the State have been violating section 125(3) of the 1999 constitution, which states: “The Auditor-General shall provide such bodies with a list of auditors qualified to be appointed by them as external auditors as well as a guideline on the level of fees to be paid to external auditors.
“The implication is that the above named bodies shall not appoint any external auditors without obtaining a list of auditors qualified to be appointed by them from the State Auditor-General;
“Obtain a guideline on the level of fees to be paid to the external auditors from the State Auditor-General.
“Submit both statutory and Management (domestic) reports to the Auditor-General for review and comments on their annual accounts and the auditor’s report thereon.”
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The Auditor-General, who reported a budget surplus in the statement, noted that no Ministry, Department or Agency spent more than its budgeted fund for the year
The report, however, observed that there was a drop in internally generated revenue by 35.45 percent against year 2022.
Udu said: “Internally generated revenue of Ebonyi State for the year ended 31st December, 2023 amounted to Fifteen billion, three hundred and fourteen million, nine hundred and nine thousand, three hundred and forty-four naira, six Kobo.
“This represents 85.31 percent of the IGR budget of N17,951,668,000.00 for the year.
“Against previous year 2022 performance, IGR dropped by N8,410,350,320.12 or 35.45 percent in 2023.
“2022 IGR was N23,725,259,664.18.”
While commending the Accountant-General of the State for preparing the general purpose financial statement in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards, Udu stated that the audit was also conducted in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing and the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions.
He commended the State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, for his transparent approach to governance, which has won awards for the State.
He further emphasised that the report was disseminated to the public to mitigate unfounded rumours, urging all who desire further information on the report to approach the office of the state Auditor-General.
Udu further stated that he had already communicated the concern over the development.
The Executive Director, DIG Foundation, Oliver Chima Ajah, explained that the programme was initiated under Strategic Civic Education and Advocacy for Good Governance project in Ebonyi State.
Ajah emphasised that there was a need for citizens to hold the government accountable as a way of advancing development and good governance.
He sued for strengthened partnership among the citizens, civil society organisations and the office of the Auditor-General for accountable governance.
The two-day event for Ebonyi North and Central Senatorial Districts of the State had traditional rulers, community leaders, religious leaders, Civil Society Organisations, government actors, the media, among others as participants.
There were question and answer sessions in which concerns of citizens were addressed.
Copies of the report were also handed over to DIG by the Auditor-General for distribution to citizens and CSOs.
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