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FG begins performance audit of MDAs

By on May 21, 2014

The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation on Monday said it had begun the performance audit of the activities of the Ministries, Department and Agencies of government.

The move, according to the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, will help to provide answers to the impact and effectiveness of government’s programmes on the people.

Ukura stated this while speaking at the African Organisation of English Speaking Supreme Audit Institutions’ regional course on performance audit in Abuja.

He said that already, performance audit had been carried out in several areas of government programmes.

He listed some of them as the food security programme, feeding scheme in Nigerian prisons, the Millennium Development Goals, impact of federal teaching schemes in selected schools, police service delivery, and impact of skills acquisition by the National Directorate of Employment.

Ukura added that the reports of the special examination would be concluded soon, noting that the audit would fill the gaps that existed between regulatory audit and expectations of Nigerians.

He said, “Nigeria and Namibia entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in 2012 for capacity building in performance audit. These positive steps have produced 22 trained performance auditors.

“They have carried out performance audits in several areas like food security, feeding scheme in Nigeria prisons, impact of federal teaching scheme in selected schools in Nigeria, police service delivery, and impact of skill acquisition in the NDE.”

Ukura said currently, his office had about 22 performance auditors, adding that by the end of 2015, the figure would have increased to 46.

“With these performance auditors, Nigeria would have been effectively positioned to be able to conduct performance audit that will make recommendations for improvements in government programmes and projects, thereby enhancing good governance,” he said.

Also speaking at the workshop, the Director, Project and Programmes Audit, OAGF, Mr. Olusola Ajao, said the uniformity in the practice of the audit profession as well as the fallout of globalisation had necessitated the development of the performance audit model.

He said, “Performance audit is an emerging trend in public sector auditing and has value-for-money as its main thrust.

“Therefore, if our primary role as auditors remains to ensure that the public purse remains utilised for purposes intended by underlying accountability and transparency in the conduct of public business, this course will go a long way in helping us to fulfil this role.”

Alao expressed optimism that with the introduction of performance audit, the office would be better equipped in the fight to reduce waste that had characterised the conduct of financial business in Nigeria.

 

 

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