By Emma Emeozor
The House of Representatives, yesterday, descended on President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers and other appointees, accusing them of frustrating the government’s war against corruption.
The lawmakers said the president’s aides were working against him.
Chairman, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House, Wole Oke slammed the ministers and Buhari’s appointees during the 2023 budget defence session with Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
Oke particularly called out the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Budget Office of the Federation and Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The show of anger followed a disclosure by the Auditor General of the Federation, Andrew Onwudili, that his office proposed a budget of N11.151 billion for 2023, but the budget office approved and put N5.112 billion.
He said his office had proposed a personnel cost of N3.041 billion as against the N2.349 billion contained in the budget, also a proposal of N5.59 billion for overhead costs as against the N2.113 billion and a proposal of N2.52 billion for capital expenditure as against the N62.70 million contained in the budget estimates.
The figures apparently infuriated the lawmakers who became enraged with the authorities in the fiscal policies of the country, accusing them of doing little with the called supreme institution in the fight against corruption.
Oke noted that the Office of the Auditor General was supreme in the fight against corruption, pointing out that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were ancillary.
The committee, therefore, summoned Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh and Director General, Budget Office the Federation, Ben Nwabueze; and Head of Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, giving seven days ultimatum for them to appear and explain why the budget of such a strategic office was poor.
Said Oke: “We want to observe that the government of President Buhari was elected based on his promise, determination to tame corruption, to humble corruption in our country. And one of the institutions, as a matter of fact, the fundamental institution which the crafters of our constitution put in place under Section 85 is the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation. By Act of the Parliament, we have created ancillary institutions like ICPC, EFCC to work with the products, with the findings of the Office of the Auditor General’s office after due consideration by the parliament.
“It is very unfortunate that we have noticed the concerted effort, determination to undermine the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation. To eradicate, to repeal illegally the supreme audit institution of this country. We have seen the determination of the lieutenants of Mr President, particularly the Minister of Finance, the DG Budget office to undermine Mr President in his determination to wage war against corruption on the land.”