Kaduna (Nigeria) – Nigeria’s Auditor-General has reacted to media publication by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on the Special Periodic Checks recently submitted to the National Assembly by the Auditor-General.
In a statement by Ogunmosunle, O.A., on behalf of the Auditor-General, the office has criticised the NNDC for delaying the Office from carrying out its constitutional mandate saying “It is noteworthy to state that it took NDDC, 16 months to grant the Office permission to commence the periodic checks.”
It also said it took the NNDC “another 16 months and several reminders to the NDDC with effect from the 24th of April, 2014 to 12th August, 2015 before the final report was submitted to the National Assembly. It may interest the reading publics to know that at the time of this Press Release, the NDDC is yet to respond to the Special Periodic Checks.”
Read the Press Statement below:
The attention of the Management of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation has been drawn to the claims by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in some electronic and print media denying and casting aspersions on the Special Periodic Checks recently submitted to the National Assembly. Ordinarily, the Management of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation would not have considered it worthy to join issues with the former.
Nevertheless, the Office make bold its statement public, based on the negative sentiments occasioned by the NDDC’s condemnation of the Special Periodic Checks in various media calculated to demean the efficacy of the Constitutional mandate carried out by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation.
It is noteworthy to state that it took NDDC, 16 months to grant the Office permission to commence the periodic checks beginning from 9th December, 2011 to 6th May, 2013. Similarly, it took another 16 months and several reminders to the NDDC with effect from the 24th of April, 2014 to 12th August, 2015 before the final report was submitted to the National Assembly. It may interest the reading publics to know that at the time of this Press Release, the NDDC is yet to respond to the Special Periodic Checks.
It is pertinent to state unequivocally that the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation has a constitutional mandate to submit its Reports to the National Assembly and in doing so, due process are usually followed.
It is therefore important to let the NDDC and the public know that the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation stands by the Special Periodic Checks on the NDDC and its contents. However, any person or corporate organization that is not satisfied with the contents of the Special Report has opportunity to defend itself before the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of the National Assembly.
Ogunmosunle, O.A.
For :Auditor –General for The Federation
