Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has called on Auditors-General in the country, particularly at the Local Government level, to partner with the Senate in its current effort to block financial leakages and ensure that maximum revenue accrues to government at all levels in the Federation.
Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, gave the charge when the national executive of the Conference of the Auditors-General for Local Governments in Nigeria, led by its National Chairman, Barr. Reuben Osita Nwosu, visited him at the National Assembly, Abuja.
He said that the visit was apt for coming at a time the 8th Senate is intensifying efforts to enhance government’s non-oil revenue through thorough scruitinization of revenue generation activities in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and demanding accountability and transparency in their operations.
The Senate President noted the concerns of the association regarding granting autonomy to the offices of the Auditors General throughout the federation by amending the Constitution to strengthen their capacity to carry out their legitimate functions.
He stated: “I want to urge the Conference of the Auditors General for Local Governments in Nigeria to join hands with the Senate in ensuring that governments at all levels get all the revenues that are due to them.
“In fact, one of the amendments we have carried out on the Constitution is financial autonomy to Local Governments and I am sure that will go a long way in helping them to have a more transparent and accountable finance system.
“I totally agree with you that in doing that we must also strengthen the autonomy of the Auditors-General because since we are giving those kind of responsibilities to local governments.
“It is necessary that we support that with the necessary tools that will ensure that they are effective because if you don’t do that, the capacity at the local governments with those kind of responsibilities will be defeated,” he said.
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