The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has expressed a different opinion to a group of members over reported plans to extend the tenure of incumbent Auditor General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony Ayine, saying the House has no objection to it.
A group of members, last week kicked against the reported move, saying they were averse to the practice of retaining civil servants who are due for retirement.
But Chairman of the PAC, Wole Oke, while reacting over the weekend said such a decision remained the prerogative of President Muhammadu Buhari, who may do so, if he so wished, noting that the House had no objection as being speculated.
“There is no such opposition from us. The incumbent Auditor General of the Federation is professionally competent and he enjoys our trust and confidence. We find him very upright and competent at work.
“If it pleases Mr. President, his tenure should be extended to enable him see the Audit Bill through. It will be good for the system because he is a competent officer to the core who knows the job professionally,” Oke said in a statement.
The lawmaker stated that his committee was very proud of the Auditor General of the Federation with the various innovations introduced to make Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to comply with rendering their annual financial accounts to the National Assembly, as and when due.
The lawmaker said that he has been very consistent in his regular appearances before the PAC, which he said had hastened the committee’s activities since the inception of the current assembly.
