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New Auditor-General Encouraged To Prioritize Compliance Audits

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1 year ago

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Stakeholders in the Nigerian audit system are urging Mr. Shaakaa Chira, the newly appointed Auditor-General for the Federation, to adopt innovative approaches in fulfilling his crucial role, considering the significance of his office and the accountability challenges within the nation’s public institutions.

Inadequate funding is recognized as a significant challenge that Chira must address.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of Chira as the substantive Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF) marks a significant step forward following the recommendations of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

Chira’s confirmation by the Senate further solidifies his position as he takes over from Adolphus Aghughu, who retired last year.

The Executive Director of the Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), Mr. Olusegun Elemo, emphasizes the importance of timeliness in audit reports.

He points out the delay in submitting audit reports for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, which poses a significant issue.

He highlights the need for the National Assembly to pass the pending audit bill, which would provide a legal framework to streamline audit processes and ensure accountability.

Mr. Elemo recognizes the need to go beyond traditional financial and compliance audits and suggests that Chira, with his background as a performance auditor, should bring innovation to audit methodologies.

The focus should shift towards conducting more comprehensive audits that delve deeper into accountability challenges in Nigeria.

Resource allocation is a crucial factor in achieving effective audits. The current level of funding for the Auditor-General’s office is inadequate.

Despite the annual expenditure of trillions of Naira, only a fraction is allocated to auditing, with the majority directed towards personnel and recurrent expenses.

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This underfunding poses a significant challenge in holding government agencies accountable.

Mr. Ferdinand Onyema, a former staff of the Office of the Auditor-General, underscores the need to address funding and staffing issues.

He points out that the lack of recruitment in recent years has resulted in a shortage of manpower.

Adequate resources are essential to equip the office with the tools and personnel needed to fulfill its constitutional role.

Mr. Onyema emphasizes that the Auditor-General’s Office is constitutionally empowered to combat corruption.

Proper funding and resources are indispensable for this task, and the President’s commitment to fighting corruption should be reflected in substantial support for the Auditor-General’s Office.

The Auditor-General for the federation has the authority to audit all income and expenditure of the Federal Government of Nigeria, with certain exceptions.

However, there is a need for clear interpretation or amendment regarding “periodic checks” in areas where the constitution restricts the office’s auditing scope.

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Kaduna State to hold education summit – Commissioner

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April 27, 2025

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Kaduna State Government will convene an Education Summit as part of its strategy to bring about transformative change in the education sector, which will be anchored on four strategic pillars.

The Commissioner for Education, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, who disclosed this while inaugurating the steering committee, further said that the event will be titled KADA EDUPACT International Summit 2025″.

According to him, one of the pillars is the Policy/Governance/Innovative Education Financing Pillar.

The Commissioner also listed the Access and Retention, Credible Learning Outcomes From Quality Inputs Pillars, as well as the Technology and Innovation pillars.

Prof Bello argued that the main objective of the summit is “to forge an Educational Pact between the government and the people, establishing commitment to shared model for education delivery, measurable outcomes and clearly defined negotiables.”

He further said that experts will make motivating presentations, adding that the Summit will provide opportunity for robust discussions on local and international investments in education, policy-making as well as technological innovations for improved teaching and learning.

The Commissioner also assured that a comprehensive education development roadmap for Kaduna State would fashioned out during the summit.

He said that the Director General of Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Professor Usman Abubakar Zaria, will coordinate the activities of the steering committee, whose membership cuts across relevant Ministries Department and Agencies.

Sub-committees to handle various aspects of the summit were announced immediately after the steering committee was inaugurated.

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Police Bust Human Trafficking Ring In Oyo, Rescue 84 Victims

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4 hours ago

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April 27, 2025

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The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking ring in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

In a major operation, the police rescued 83 individuals and a child from a house in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.

Preliminary reports suggest that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were lured to Nigeria under the pretence of being offered employment opportunities.

There are also claims that the perpetrators extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate scheme.

The rescued individuals are currently at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to ascertain the full details of the case.

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Pope Francis Laid To Rest In Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

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4 hours ago

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April 27, 2025

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Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.

A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.

Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.

The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.

Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.

Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.

The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.

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