BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE, IBADAN
The Oyo State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, passed the state Audit Bill, 2021 into law.
The passage of the bill was sequel to the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Public Account, Finance and Appropriation by its Chairman, Akeem Mustapha (Kajola).
The bill will, among other things, see to the establishment of the Oyo State Audit Commission.
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, who led the House on a clause by clause consideration of the bill said it would also make provision for the appointment, condition of service, functions and powers of the Auditor General of the state and local government.
“The bill will ensure accountability and transparency in governance and in handling of public resources. This is why it was expeditiously passed by the House. It will further see to the checks and balances of the spendings of government,”
the Speaker said.
Mustapha stressed that the essence of the bill was to give room for the Auditor General to perform his/her constitutional roles effectively.
He added that the auditor generals for state and local government had, before now, been made redundant hence.
The bill, when assented to by the governor would empower them to check the excesses of public officers, he said.
“The auditor-generals are not supposed to be under the control or interference of either the executive, legislature or the judiciary. They are supposed to stand on their own and be autonomous,” Mustapha said.
