A coalition of seven Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has launched a campaign to pressure President Bola Tinubu into signing the Audit Service Bill passed by the National Assembly. The CSOs include the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Action Aid Nigeria, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative, Accountability Lab, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, The Statecraft Report, and BUDGIT.
During a media briefing in Abuja, the Lead Director of CSJ, Eze Onyekpere, emphasized that signing the bill is crucial for consolidating the fiscal reforms introduced by President Tinubu. He noted that it would also enhance the effectiveness of the administration's anti-corruption efforts by closing revenue leakage avenues.
Call for Transparency and International Recognition
The groups also called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to publish a simplified version of the law for public understanding. Additionally, they urged the government to communicate the reform to international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and AFROSAI-E as part of governance reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Addressing Audit System Gaps
Onyekpere stated that the proposed legislation would address longstanding gaps in Nigeria's audit system and align the country with global standards of fiscal accountability. He explained that the bill seeks to repeal the outdated Audit Ordinance of 1956 and establish a modern Federal Audit Service with expanded powers for the Auditor-General for the Federation.
He highlighted that the current audit framework is obsolete and insufficient for today's governance and accountability challenges. Onyekpere remarked: "The bill seeks to strengthen the last mile of public finance management and the anti-corruption agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria. We are supposed to inform Nigerians, the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, so that together we can take up this campaign to convince the President that this assent will be in his personal interest and in the interest of the nation at large."
