In line with the requirements of the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Program for Result (SFTAS) and international best practice, the Audit Forum and Citizens Accountability Dialogue has presented the 2023 State Auditor-General Report to the public.
The report presented at the 2024 audit forum and citizens’ accountability dialogue in Awka revealed that a total of 29 agencies in the state have not been audited since its formation.
The State Auditor General, Mr. Akosa Okocha revealed that some ministries, departments, and agencies are yet to respond to audit queries even as some responses received from others have failed to address key issues in line with extant laws of the land.
Mr Okocha said that MDAs faced issues ranging from improper record keeping, unretired and unaccounted appropriated and unappropriated funds, use of fictitious receipts, vouchers with insufficient retirement and improper documents to retire expenditures, undeducted and unremitted taxes, use of personal bank accounts, among others.
Delivering lectures at the event, Professor Patrick Egbunike of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Professor Anthony Agu, represented by Dr Ekene Adokwe, maintained that addressing the challenges of public finance accountability in Nigeria requires strategic interventions for transparency, efficiency, and public trust, achievable by strengthening the independence and capacity of oversight institutions and encouraging citizen participation in budgeting while leveraging technology.
Other speakers, including a management and financial consultant, Mr Ademola Okeleye, the Permanent Secretary, Anambra State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Stephanie Keri-Uzor, and a representative of Civil Society Organizations, Ugochi Freeman, called for the passage of Anambra State Anti-Corruption Law with a view to ensuring that corrupt practices were checked.
.
