By Shakirudeen Bankole
Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze has expressed satisfaction over the 2017 audited report of the federation, saying such exercise is needed more frequently in the quest for probity in public governance.
The report, released by the office of the Auditor General of the federation, in conjunction with Socio-Economic, Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), came with damning revelation on how N1.15 trillion was illegally withdrawn by revenue collection agencies from the federation account.
Out of the said amount, over N2 billion was said to have been unaccounted for by the MDAs during the year in review.
Speaking on Channels Television Sunrise Daily, Thursday, Akabueze, said the report has exposed leakages in the system and the need to further strengthen government’s financial infrastructures.
According to him, “the Report is indeed a good thing. One of the great things that would happen to the country in it’s journey to probity in public governance.
“However, we need to continue to experience such exercise more frequently so that the message of transparency and accountability in public office can be quickly entrenched in our system.
“For instance, we are talking of the 2017 Audit Report here. That was three years ago. And a lot more would have happened thereafter. So, there is need to continue to have a repeat of the exercise more frequently,” he added.
Meanwhile, the revelation from the audited report has sent the social media on frenzy, with many arguing that the report is a further validation of citizen’s lack of trust in the government.
