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The High Cost of Silence: Why President Tinubu Must Sign the Federal Audit Service Bill

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The High Cost of Silence: Why President Tinubu Must Sign the Federal Audit Service Bill

By Paul Dasimeokuma

Nigeria currently manages a staggering ₦68.32 trillion budget through an audit framework that is effectively a colonial relic.

The Audit Ordinance of 1956, which remains the primary reference for federal audit reports, technically ceased to be part of Nigerian law in 1990 and is conspicuously absent from the 2004 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN).

This creates a legal lacuna, a dangerous, silent void where the nation’s financial watchdog is forced to bark using the authority of an obsolete law that has no place in a modern republic. As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu navigates the Renewed Hope agenda, the Federal Audit Service Bill, already passed by the National Assembly, represents a low-hanging fruit for structural reform that can no longer be ignored.

The current auditing function in Nigeria has devolved into a frustrating exercise in report writing without consequence. Under the present system, the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF) produces an annual report, which is then sent to the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of the National Assembly.

The PACs conduct hearings, invite heads of agencies, and eventually produce their own recommendations. Yet, despite this high-level activity, the cycle of financial felonies and misdemeanors continues unabated.

Evidence shows that audit recommendations are treated with levity by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and follow-ups are virtually non-existent despite clear Financial Regulations.

The result is a culture of impunity where the same infractions: unvouched expenditures, missing assets, and unremitted revenues—appear in reports decade after decade.

This Bill is the structural answer to this stagnation. It seeks to move Nigeria from a limited, department-based audit model to a modern Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) structure, consistent with global best practices. By transforming the office into a Service, the Bill ensures that auditing is a core pillar of national economic security.

The Bill provides for the establishment of an autonomous Federal Audit Service and a Federal Audit Board. This Board will fundamentally strengthen the independence of the AuGF, particularly concerning recruitment, promotion, and discipline.

Currently, the AuGF relies on the Federal Civil Service Commission for staffing, which often leads to a mismatch in specialised skills. An independent Board ensures the office is shielded from political interference and staffed by professionals answering only to the standards of their craft.

For the first time, the Bill explicitly empowers the AuGF with the power of the purse and the power of sanction. It authorises the AuGF to surcharge public officers for expenditures not duly brought into account and, more importantly, to withhold the emoluments of any person who refuses to reply to audit queries within 30 days. This closes the long-standing accountability gap where audit findings were merely advisory.

In the past, an MDA could simply ignore a query with no personal consequence. Under the new Bill, silence carries a direct financial penalty, providing the legal teeth necessary to compel compliance with financial discipline.
Beyond internal accountability, the Bill is a crucial signal to the international community.

Nigeria was successfully removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in October 2025, a hard-won victory for the nation’s financial reputation. However, this victory must be protected. The FATF framework explicitly monitors audit oversight of public funds as part of its financial integrity assessments. Maintaining a 70-year-old framework that technically does not exist in our current laws risks signaling to global monitors that Nigeria’s anti-corruption reforms are superficial.

Similarly, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its June 2025 Article IV Consultation, called for strong expenditure management and transparent reporting. Assenting to this Bill is an act of economic diplomacy. It tells the World Bank and foreign investors that Nigeria is serious about the transparent implementation of its record-breaking budget.

It aligns the country with the Lima Declaration, which mandates that Supreme Audit Institutions must have the functional independence necessary to perform duties without executive overreach.

The reform window is rapidly closing. With the 2027 election cycle approaching, administrative bandwidth for such structural changes will contract. Transitioning from the 1956 framework and constituting the Federal Audit Board requires significant lead time.

Assent in 2026 gives this implementation a fighting chance to take root. President Tinubu has frequently spoken about the need for courage in governance. Signing the Federal Audit Service Bill is an act of such courage. Nigeria cannot build a 21st-century economy on 1950s paperwork. The time for the Audit Act is now.

Paul Dasimeokuma – Centre for Social Justice

The High Cost of Silence: Why President Tinubu Must Sign the Federal Audit Service Bill

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Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram

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Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Government has distributed relief materials to 434 indigenes of Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area who were recently rescued by security agencies after spending three months in Boko Haram captivity.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum visited the victims in Pulka on Monday and directed the immediate distribution of food and non-food items to support their recovery and reintegration.

In compliance with the Governor’s directive, the Director General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Ali Abdullahi Isa, promptly supervised the distribution exercise.

Each rescued person received a bag of rice, a bag of maize grits, a mattress, a wrapper, and a shadda, while children received two pairs of clothing.

In addition, 208 heads of households received N50,000 each, fulfilling Governor Zulum’s earlier pledge of financial assistance.

Speaking during the distribution, the SEMA Director General said the intervention was part of the government’s immediate response to ease the hardship faced by the rescued victims.

“I am here at the instance of His Excellency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, who was here some few days ago, and to deliver the items he directed that it should be given to you as emergency relief,” Ali stated.

The rescued individuals are currently receiving medical care and psychosocial support at a government facility. Upon completion of the rehabilitation process, they will be reintegrated into their respective communities.

The exercise was carried out alongside the Chairman of Gwoza local government, representatives of the Ngoshe community, and other officials.

Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram

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Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs

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Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, marked Democracy Day with the handover of two Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and critical logistics to the Nigerian Army, after joining internally displaced persons (IDPs) for a symbolic celebration and distribution of food items to 2,500 beneficiaries.

The armoured MRAPs delivered to the Theatre Command of Operation Hadin Kai on Friday are intended to enhance troop protection against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ambushes which remain a persistent threat in the fight against insurgents. Additional logistics include operational Hilux vehicles and motorcycles for frontline soldiers in difficult terrains.

Zulum also marked Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Madinatu camp where he distributed food supplies, non-food items, and cash gifts to thousands of beneficiaries.

The distribution, held at the Madinatu IDP camp, served to consolidate Zulum’s resettlement gains. Over the past seven years, Borno State Government has successfully resettled more than 2 million IDPs in their ancestral communities in a dignified and voluntary manner.

“It gladdens my heart today, the 12th of June, 2026, to celebrate June 12th, Democracy Day, here in Madinatu Camp, the only formal camp that is standing inside Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, today, to the glory of God and the benefit of mankind, for the distribution of food and non-food items. Inshallah, this camp will be closed this year. This will be our last distribution exercise in this camp, or the second to the last,” Zulum said.

However, Governor Zulum used the occasion to announce a timeline for the camp’s closure. The governor ordered that Madinatu camp be shut down within one month, vowing to similarly close most IDP camps across various Local Government Areas in the coming phase of his administration’s resettlement strategy.

“Democracy must translate into restoring the dignity of our people,” Zulum told the IDPs. “Living in camps is not a permanent solution. Our goal remains to return every displaced person to their ancestral homes with security and means of livelihood.”

In addition to the food items, Zulum approved N50,000 each for the 2,500 beneficiaries present at the event.

“Each of the 500 beneficiaries mentioned will receive a 25kg bag of rice and a 25kg bag of sorghum. Women will receive wrappers. I also promise to provide 50,000 naira to each beneficiary. This amount can be credited into their own individual accounts, inshallah,” Zulum said.

The exercise was attended by the APC’s State Deputy Chairman, Garba Mulima, APC State Vice Chairman (Central) Abdur Rahman Abdulkarim, Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mallumbe, Member representing Jere at the State Assembly, Abba Kyari Kolo, commissioners and commissioner designates and several other senior government officials.

Democracy Day: Zulum gives 2 MRAPs, other logistics to Army, celebrates with IDPs

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Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano

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Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano

By: Michael Mike

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for the arrest of a suspected gun courier intercepted while allegedly transporting weapons believed to be destined for criminal elements in Katsina State.

The commendation was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Thursday, June 12, 2026.

Governor Yusuf described the operation as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against banditry, terrorism and other violent crimes threatening communities across Northern Nigeria.

According to information provided by the DSS, the suspect, identified as Muhammad Abubakar, 30, was apprehended in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State while allegedly transporting four rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, three AK-47 rifles and two empty magazines to Funtua in Katsina State.

Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that the suspect collected the weapons from an individual identified as Bello in the Maigatari border area of Jigawa State and was expected to receive N450,000 upon successful delivery of the arms.

Governor Yusuf praised the professionalism, vigilance and intelligence-driven approach of DSS operatives, noting that the timely interception prevented the weapons from falling into the hands of bandits and other criminal groups.

He said the operation underscored the critical role of intelligence gathering and effective collaboration among security agencies in tackling emerging security threats across the country.

The governor reaffirmed the commitment of the Kano State Government to supporting security agencies through sustained cooperation, logistics assistance and policies aimed at strengthening public safety throughout the state.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information to security agencies to aid efforts to combat crime and maintain peace.

Governor Yusuf expressed confidence that ongoing investigations would lead to the arrest and prosecution of all individuals connected to the alleged arms trafficking network.

The statement was signed by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano.

Gov. Yusuf Commends DSS Over Arrest of Suspected Gun Courier in Kano

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