By Joseph Kanjo, Benin
Experts from the finance sector and media have urged journalists to prioritise audit reporting in order to promote accountability in Nigeria.
They added that Auditors-General in the 36 states and the media are critical to ensuring the accountability of public officers in the control and management of public funds.
They further advised both journalists and state auditors-general to follow
the dictates of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to do proper audit reporting.
These were the positions taken by resource persons at the maiden edition of Audit Report workshop held in Benin City between October 5th and 6th 2022.
Info Daily reports that Audit Reporting Training-X-raying State Government Audit Reports is a flagship capacity development programme of FrontFoot Media Initiative under the auspices of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) and sponsored by MacArthur Foundation.
In his opening remarks, Sully Abu, a veteran journalist, former Managing Director of New Age newspapers and The African Guardian, charged journalists to be courageous, ethical, and conscientious in unfolding the contents of audit reports.
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According to him, until media practitioners rise to the responsibility of holding public office holders accountable, they will continue to handle Nigeria’s common wealth with impunity.
On his part, Emeka Izeze, also a veteran journalist and former Managing Director of Guardian Newspapers Limited, showed the
participants various pathways to generating needed information and urged creativity in reportage of subjects such as the audit reports of states.
In his presentation, Sonala Olumhense, a renowned columnist of and former Editor of ThisWeek declared that auditors-general should play a crucial role in promoting accountability as the Nigerian constitution empowers them.
“The Auditor-General of a State is appointed by the Governor on the
recommendation of the State Civil Service Commission and confirmed bythe House of Assembly. The Auditor-General is not accountable to the governor or supervised by the governor or any other authority.”
Citing six pillars of the legal and professional authority of auditors-general, Olumhense added, “The Auditor-General has the authority to undertake periodic checks of all government statutory corporations, commissions, authorities, agencies, including all persons and bodies established by any law of the House of Assembly of that State.”
One of the resource persons, Chief Chukwuemeka Anika, Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, urged auditors to stay ethical in their audit engagements and to sign only audits that align with their professional, ethical, and moral standards.
Another resource person, Mr Godswell Omenogo, a chartered accountant and auditor, while noting the campaigns against corruption, affirmed, “These
clamours can only be effective if all relevant stakeholders adhere strictly to processes and procedures as enshrined in our laws and related gazettes.
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Relevant questions need to be asked, adequate information need to be provided, all relevant functionaries need to objectively carry out their respective functions.” He added.