FG to release COVID-19 funds audit report

The Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF), Mr Anthony Ayine, has disclosed that the first part of the audit report on COVID-19 funds covering the period of March – June would be released before the end of October.

Ayine added that subsequent reports would be released quarterly.

A statement by Oghenekevwe Ebireri, Deputy Director, Information at AuGF, said that Ayine disclosed this during a special recognition award presentation to him by the Conference of Auditors-General for the Local Governments and Area Councils in Nigeria.

He said: “Hopefully, by next week, the first interim report should be published. The first interim report coming out would be from the commencement of when the Presidential Task Force (PTF), for COVID-19, was established, up till June 30”.

He called for more collaboration between auditors at the Federal, State and Local Government/Area Council levels toward entrenching accountability and transparency in the public service.

He expressed appreciation for the recognition of his efforts to ensure that audit institutions in the country deliver value, by promoting good governance through proper public financial management.

“I view this award as an encouragement to do more work,’’ he said.

The Auditor-General also tasked auditors to pay more attention to “performance audit,’’ explaining that some transactions that may pass the scrutiny of financial and regularity audits may reveal infractions when performance audit was applied.

He assured the body of the continuous support of his office, especially in the area of capacity building.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Conference, Mr Atiku Musa, said the award to Ayine was to specially acknowledge his reforms that have boosted specialisation and professionalism.

He added that such reforms have attracted foreign support to create an academy where staff are groomed and mentored to acquire knowledge to tackle emerging issues in the auditing of public funds.

“Similarly, you have been able to bring to bear the high professional and skilful stuff that you are made of, by bringing the Auditors-General in Nigeria together under one umbrella.