Saraki calls for progress in corruption fight as Federal Audit Service Bill passes

Senate President of Nigeria, Bukola Saraki has called for the strengthening of institutions as the government continues in its fight against corruption.

Saraki made the remark during plenary on Wednesday after the Federal Audit Sevice Bill was passed by the senate after the third reading.

The senate president expressed hope that President Muhammadu Buhari would sign the bill.

“The fight against corruption is through institutions – you must strengthen the institutions that will do it and this is a Bill that will do that. We hope this time around we would be successful and get the assent of Mr. President,” Saraki said.

He called the bill a bedrock in the fight against corruption, stating that the bill tackles issues of non-accountability of numerous agencies in the Nigerian government.

“Let me thank the Chairman of the Public Accounts and our colleagues. This bill is a very important Bill in the fight against corruption; truly it is a bedrock.

“I want us to commend all those who have done this and I hope Mr. President this time around would assent to this Bill because this is a Bill that will go a long way in helping the government fight corruption.

“As long as the agencies are not audited and do not provide audit reports, we are just paying lip service to the fight against corruption.

“There is no way we can say we would make any progress in the fight against corruption if we still have over 200 – 300 of our agencies not audited and do not send audit reports. It is through this Bill that we will begin to tackle those issues.”

Senator Matthew Urhoghide representing the Edo South senatorial district presented the report of the Committee on Public Accounts on the Federal Audit Service Bill, 2019.

Senator Ibrahim Gobir seconded that the Senate has received and consider the report of the Committee on Public Accounts on the Federal Audit Service Bill, 2019.