The body of the Federal and State Auditors General of Nigeria has urged the public finance actors, especially the key government functionaries, to be more active in the fight against corruption in the country.
The National Chairman of the body, Sunday Adegoke, made the call on Monday at Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, during the flag off of a 4-day capacity building workshop for the state and local governments' auditors general in the Southeast zone of the country.
Adegoke noted that financial misappropriation and other corrupt activities have become a global challenge and advocated for a total clamping down on the menace in Nigeria.
"The public finance actors, especially the key government functionaries who hold one or more responsibilities in managing public finances, they are primarily responsible parties to ensure that this menace (corruption) is brought down.
"There is a possibility, and the risk is there, that may spot a place for the managers of the public finances, need to detect each fraud - that is either to detect or prevent the fraud," he advised.
Adegoke, also the Ondo State Auditor General, explained that the workshop was centered on 'enhancing public sector auditors' performance for relevance and value addition' in the country.
He said the capacity building program would equip his members with prerequisite knowledge and guidelines to ensure the sustenance of the standards requirements of the organization in the public auditing profession.
He stressed the need for the Auditors General to always discharge their expected duties as public auditors pertaining to financial reports to avoid fraud.
"We will just come in as reviewers to take a look at whatever report they have submitted and look at the financial management system. And where, for instance, a fraud is detected, we report it so that those places can be dealt with as provided by the laws. And what we have come here is to strengthen the capacity of the personnel," the Chairman stated.
He maintained that the Auditors General should be guided by the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria while carrying out the public finance auditing before submitting the report(s) to the House of the Assembly in their various state.
He observed that no erring auditor would escape the wrath of the law as the various auditors have their codes of conduct checkmating the professional members' actions and activities.
The Head of the Sub-Supreme body in Ebonyi State, Dr. Samuel Uduma, said the four-day training program would be of great benefit to the Auditors General, especially in getting abreast with the prerequisite knowledge for the public auditing profession.
He commended the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru, for sponsoring the program and described the gesture as the first of its kind in the country.
