The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has approved the 2025 budgetary proposal for the Office of Auditor-General of the Federation.
This came on Thursday after the Auditor-General, Shaakaa Chira, addressed the grey areas that had been observed in the initial proposal presented on Tuesday.
Chira, however, outlined that the issue of understaffing still needs to be tackled, with a request for 247 new staff members to be recruited.
Media Talk Africa recalls that the senate had suspended the 2025 budget defence for the Office of Auditor General for the Federation.
Chairman of the committee, Sen. Aliyu Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa), pointed out that the revised proposal had cleared up the earlier concerns.
“Accordingly, this committee has resolved to approve the budget for onward submission to the appropriation committee,” Wadada said.
The senator also stressed the importance of the Auditor-General’s office.
He stated: “Auditor-General is more or less, a member of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts.
“And by extension, that of the House of Representatives, whose budget should be given required attention it deserves.”
The lawmaker warned against future occurrences of unclear proposals, given the sensitive nature of the office.
Responding, the Auditor-General expressed his gratitude to the committee for approving the budget.
“The budget, when finally passed by the National Assembly, will go a long way in helping the office to perform better in the new fiscal year.
“This development is a significant step forward, as the Office of Auditor-General plays a crucial role in ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public funds,” Wadada said.
