In what may be described as a watershed moment for Nigeria’s accountability drive, the Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) has showered praise on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives for completing a full audit cycle for the first time in 26 years.
The civic organization hailed the committee’s review of the Auditor-General’s Reports for 2019 and 2020 as a bold step in the right direction—one that breaks a jinx that has held democratic oversight hostage since 1999.
PLSI, known for championing fiscal transparency and democratic accountability, described the feat as a milestone for Nigeria’s public finance management, noting that it represents the first time since the country’s return to civilian rule that a comprehensive audit review by the legislative arm has been fully concluded.
The organization welcomed the House’s decision to indict 31 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for various financial infractions amounting to N103.8 billion and $950,912. With the resolution passed, PLSI announced its intention to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to swing into action and recover the funds.
The alleged financial wrongdoings cited include procurement violations, weak internal controls, unauthorized spending, and gross mismanagement—issues that PLSI insists must not be swept under the carpet. According to the organization, it will monitor the anti-graft agencies closely to ensure that appropriate recovery and sanctions are enforced.
PLSI sees this development as a golden opportunity to entrench audit impact in Nigeria’s governance structure. It called for immediate enforcement of recoveries and sanctions, speedy passage of the Federal Audit Service Bill to grant legal and financial independence to the Auditor-General’s office, and a framework that ensures timely submission, review, and legislative action on audit reports.
While acknowledging that the road ahead remains long and winding, the organization believes this breakthrough is evidence of rising political will to reform Nigeria’s public financial architecture.
It further urged the Senate to fast-track concurrence on the Audit Bill already passed by the House and transmit it to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent. For PLSI, effective oversight cannot thrive in an environment where audit reports gather dust and laws lack the teeth to bite.
The group also extended commendation to Hon. Bamidele Salam, Chairman of the House PAC, lauding his leadership and the dedication of committee members in delivering what it described as a “critical national assignment.”
As the nation seeks to get more bang for its buck in public service delivery, PLSI concluded that citizens deserve transparency, accountability, and above all, value for money.
