Senate panel queries Auditor-General over staff salary provision

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts, on Thursday, asked the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF), Shaakaa Chira, to be questioned on the increase in the salaries of workers in the year 2025.

They complained that the amount paid for salaries exceeded the number of employees in the office Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF)raise doubts about budgeting.

Members of the committee found inconsistencies in the budget when the AuGF appeared before them to defend what his office allocated in the 2025 Budget.

Budget allocation for 247 employees creates controversy

During the meeting Mr. Chira told the committee that his office planned to have 247 people in the 2025 economic plan.

He explained that a memo has been sent to the Head of Service of the Federation asking for the approval of the posts and that about 100 positions have been approved for financial reasons.

“We made a budget, provided 247 employees, and a memo was written to the head of the ministry, who has the power to create jobs for every organization.

“Some types were approved, I think about 100 or more, depending on the economic situation, and they were sent to the Federal Civil Service Commission,” he said.

However, when asked to clarify how many were approved, Mr Chira admitted that he was “not well informed” on the exact number.

The Auditor-General’s answers were widely criticized because he did not tell the truth about the number of employees in his office but prepared a budget for them.

Ebonyi North Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi questioned the AuGF for failing to give clear and honest answers.

“No, please, Auditor General, you must be serious.” You are the head of the organization. You wrote a memo, and you have a response to the memo, and you’re telling us that you don’t know what’s in the memo you wrote.

“What does this mean? Your budget contribution is for 247 employees. You are telling us that you don’t know, but you are making a budget for 247. Are you kidding us? Please, let’s be serious here,” he said.

Mr Nwebonyi, the deputy chief whip of the Senate, accused the AuGF of misleading MPs.

“You can’t make a budget for what you don’t know. What if, at the end of the day, they accept 300 or 100 as you said earlier, but the government has released money for another 247 workers? I mean Mr Auditor-General, you are not serious. I don’t want to use the worst word, but you are not sure,” he added.

Zamfara North Senator Sahabi Ya’u also sought clarification on whether the AuGF initiated the memo asking for additional staff or inherited it from the previous administration.

“Auditor-General, what I want to understand in this case is, are you the one who started the memo or did you inherit it? The memo requested is a job. You inherited it or you started the budget,” the senator asked.

On his part, Oyo South Senator Sarafadeen Ali asked the AuGF why his office wanted a budget for 247 workers when only 100 were approved.

“But even though you have learned that only 100 have been approved out of 247, why do you think that 247 will be allocated the budget?”

A closed door

Following a heated discussion, Mr. Ali made a motion for the committee to resolve the matter in closed session.

Delta Central Senator Ede Dafinone agreed with the developments.

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The chairman of the committee, Aliu Wadada, told members of the committee to close the closed door to resolve the disputes.

The committee approves the budget

After the closing meeting, which lasted for about 10 minutes, Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District, announced that members of the committee had resolved the gray areas in the budget.

The chairman of the committee later announced the approval of the AuGF budget.