Former Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mr Patrick Giwa has disclosed that the Public Account Committee, PAC, reports from the National Assembly have been ignored for 25 years.
Giwa, who is also the pioneer clerk of PAC, spoke at the inaugural meeting of the 10th House’s PAC in Abuja.
In a startling revelation, Giwa aid in spite of drafting over 200 reports and presenting more than 2,000 recommendations during his tenure with PAC, none of them was ever taken into consideration by the lawmakers.
“I am telling fellow Nigerians that the PAC report has never been considered in the past 25 years. They check out reports every year but they are not considered.
“Members of PAC do so much work. The committee is always committed to doing the work but at the end of the day, they are not considered,” he said.
Giwa’s account of his experiences as the pioneer clerk highlighted the frustration of PAC members who diligently carry out their responsibilities only to see their efforts ignored year after year.
He advocated for greater support for the Office of the Auditor General, emphasising the importance of enabling them to carry out their mandate effectively.
On the challenges faced by auditors when investigating government accounts, he revealed that some agencies even resort to physical attacks to deter auditors.
Giwa noted that it had taken years of effort by PAC to improve the welfare and working conditions of the Auditor General’s office.
Responding to these revelations, the PAC Chairman, Rep. Bamidele Salami, assured that the committee would make it a priority to address this long-standing issue.
“This time, we would work harder, smarter, and in a manner that will ensure we recover quite a whole lot of ground.
“There are lots of expectations from the leadership of the House and from Nigerians,” Rep. Salami stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Giwa’s disclosure shed light on a long-standing issue that has gone unaddressed for far too long.
Bamidele, however, assured that the PAC of the 10th House is determined to rectify this matter as they take up their responsibilities.
