TOPE Fasua, an economist and businessman, has recommended the strengthening of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) in order to be able to prosecute government agencies indicted in its periodic audit reports.

Fasua made the recommendation during a radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG).

Discussing the topic: Auditor General’s Reports: MDAs Neck Deep in Irregularities, Frauds, Fasua also called for the scrapping of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over what he described as their lacklustre attitude in curbing corruption.

He lamented the poor financial compliance of by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), noting that such attitude has exposed the level of hypocrisy in the government’s war against corruption.

“We have a government that claims to be opposing corruption and yet not lifting a finger, for example 69 government agencies have never submitted their financial report since inception, 323 refused to submitted in 2018, and then it keeps getting worse and year in year out,” Fasua said.

He  also noted that the Office of the Auditor-General would only work on report that is made available, which then goes to Public Account Committee in the House of Representatives, and maybe the Senate.

When asked if anti-corruption agencies can work with concluded reports, Fasua said: “The only problem is that when you are fundamentally compromised there is nothing you can do.”

He also decried lack of law compelling government ministries, departments and agencies agencies  to answer query from the Auditor General.

“As far as there is no law that compels MDAs in answering Auditor General’s query, much will not be achieved,” Fasua said.

“Why are we not working on that law, why is Mr President not interested, where are the members of the national assembly?”

Speaking during the radio programme also, Haleem Olatunji, TheCable correspondent,  who reported multiple financial fraud in the Nigerian Law School recently, said there have been no efforts by the government to bring the perpetrators of the misappropriation to book.

Speaking from Lagos on telephone Olatunji said, “The Law School report is like several other reports in the Auditor General’s office.”

“Right now we have not seen anything from Law School because the Senate directed the Director-General to make sure the money was recovered and returned to the school’s account, but no update so far,” he added.

The syndicated radio program is produced by PRIMORG with the support from the MacArthur  Foundation.