SENATE WARNS MDAs TO IMMEDIATELY COMPLY WITH FINANCIAL REGULATIONS, SEQUEL TO THE AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORT 20-11-24
By Sadiq Aminu Senate has warned Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately comply with financial regulations, following the release of the Auditor General’s report that revealed massive financial mismanagement.
The Senate also made it known that it will impose sanctions on any MDA found failing to address the findings in the report.
Senator Garba Madoki,who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance, at a workshop on legislative oversight organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).
Senator Madoki expressed concern over the frequent failure of MDA heads to appear before the Senate when summoned, stressing that the Senate would no longer tolerate such behavior.
The Auditor General’s recent findings revealed that a total of N105.66 billion had been misappropriated across several MDAs, with N18.36 billion of this amount spent on contracts awarded without following due process in the Public Procurement Act.
This comes amid growing concerns over the mismanagement of public funds, especially in light of Nigeria’s ongoing fiscal challenges.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, reinforced the importance of legislative compliance in ensuring good governance
The Acting Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Kamoru Ogunlana, also highlighted the importance of compliance in strengthening public confidence in government institutions.
Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, Director General of NILDS, pointed out some of the systemic challenges that undermine MDA compliance, including weak enforcement, bureaucratic inertia, and a lack of political support.