The Senate Committee on Public Accounts, on Thursday, subjected the Auditor-Basic of the Federation (AuGF), Shaakaa Chira, to intense questioning over alleged inflation of the workers wage finances for 2025.
It expressed concern that the proposed budgetary allocation for salaries exceeded the variety of staff within the Workplace of the Auditor-Basic of the Federation (OAuGF), elevating suspicions of finances padding.
The committee members found inconsistencies within the finances when the AuGF appeared earlier than them to defend his workplace’s allocation within the 2025 Finances.
Budgetary provision for 247 workers generates controversy
In the course of the session, Mr Chira knowledgeable the committee that his workplace had made a provision for 247 staffers within the 2025 fiscal plan.
He defined {that a} memo had been despatched to the Head of Service of the Federation requesting approval for vacancies and that about 100 positions had been authorized as a result of financial scenario.
“We made a finances, a provision of 247 workers, and a memo was written to the top of service, which has the authority of making vacancies for any organisation.
“Some vacancies had been authorized, I take into consideration 100 or so, primarily based on the financial scenario, and so they had been despatched to the Federal Civil Service Fee,” he mentioned.
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Nevertheless, when pressed for a definitive reply on what number of positions had been authorized, Mr Chira admitted that he had not been “correctly communicated” on the precise quantity.
The Auditor-Basic’s response was strongly criticised as a result of he was not factual in his presentation in regards to the precise variety of workers beneath his workplace and but budgeted for them.
Ebonyi North Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi queried the AuGF for failing to offer clear and factual solutions.
“No, please, Mr. Auditor Basic, it’s a must to be critical. You’re the chief government of this establishment. You wrote a memo, and you’ve got a reply to that memo, and you’re telling us that you’re not positive of the contents of the memo you wrote.
“What does that recommend? Your budgetary provision is for 247 workers. You’re telling us you aren’t positive, however you make a finances for 247. Are you kidding us? Please, let’s be critical right here,” he mentioned.
Mr Nwebonyi, the Senate deputy chief whip, accused the AuGF of deceptive the lawmakers.
“You can’t finances for what you don’t know. What if, on the finish of the day, they approve 300 or 100 such as you mentioned earlier, however the federal authorities has launched cash for 247 extra workers? I imply, Mr Auditor-Basic, you aren’t critical. I don’t wish to use very dangerous phrases, however you aren’t critical,” he added.
Zamfara North Senator Sahabi Ya’u additionally sought to make clear whether or not the AuGF had initiated the memo requesting extra workers or had inherited it from a earlier administration.
“Auditor-Basic, what I wish to perceive from that is, did you provoke this memo otherwise you inherited it? The memo requested is employment. Did you inherit it otherwise you began the finances,” the senator requested.
On his half, Oyo South Senator Sarafadeen Ali requested the AuGF why his workplace was proposing a finances for 247 workers when solely 100 had been authorized.
“However despite the fact that you may have learnt that solely 100 have been authorized out of 247, why are you proposing a budgetary allocation of 247?”
Closed-door session
Following the heated dialog, Mr Ali moved a movement for the committee to resolve the problem in a closed-door session.
Delta Central Senator Ede Dafinone seconded the movement.
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Chairman of the Committee, Aliu Wadada, thereafter directed committee members to dissolve right into a closed-door to deal with the discrepancies.
Committee approves finances
After the closed-door session, which lasted for about 10 minutes, Mr Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District, introduced that the committee members had resolved the gray areas within the finances.
The committee chairperson thereafter introduced the approval of the AuGF finances.
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