NEW OGUN AUDIT LAW TO PROMOTE ACCOUNTABILITY, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY- LAWMAKERS

Ogun State  State House of Assembly says the State Audit Law, 2019  is meant to encourage accountability, transparency and probity in the runnings of government finance in line with the present administration's drive for fairness and all-inclusiveness governance.

This was the summation of views of the lawmakers who spoke in unison in favour of the bill titled: HB No 027/OG/2020- A Bill for a Law to provide for the Establishment of the Ogun State Audit Service Commission and Office of the Auditor General and for other matters connected therewith“ during its second reading.

This was consequent upon the motion for the second reading moved by Hon. Musefiu Lamidi, seconded by Sola Adams and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon.

Olakunle Oluomo at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Lawmakers including the Sponsor, Musefiu Lamidi, Honourables Abdul Bashir Oladunjoye, Ademuyiwa Adeyemi and Damilola Soneye stated the bill was in line with  the resolution earlier passed by the Assembly, advocating for the separation of the Office of the Auditor General from the auditees, adding that the bill when operational would expand the work scope of the Auditors to put in place financial monitoring mechanism at improving efficiency in the operations of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Also, Honourables Oludaisi Elemide, Kemi Oduwole, Minority Leader Ganiyu Oyedeji and Modupe Mujota said the bill became expedient to boost public confidence in government, as it would devise internal control mechanism to reduce waste and detect errors for the achievement of sound financial system in the State.   

   

Responding, Oluomo, who commended his colleague-lawmakers for their contributions, added that the bill was geared towards achieving operational independence for the Auditors, saying if granted independence through the relevant provisions of the bill,  the Auditors would work better with clear conscience. He thereafter committed the bill to the House Committee on Public Accounts for further legislative actions.