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Momodou
Denmark
11640 Posts |
 Posted - 03 May 2011 : 14:42:18
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DailyNews Editorial: Government Should Render Account
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
In our opinion, there has not been an Auditor General’s Report that has taken a transparent footing in the public service of the second republic like that of 1998 during the tenure of Fatoumatta Jallow who was the first Accountant General of the second Republic.
She had indicated in 1998 that that she could not come up with a comprehensive report because of the failure on the part of the government to present its accounts.
Perhaps it was the exposure of mismanagement and other irregularities that made government to fear such transparency. But the danger of lack of being transparent is in fact worst.
In her own words: “The failure to produce financial statements is a matter of grave concern as we are unable to confirm the level of expenditure made or revenue collected by the government, whether the government is operating a surplus or deficit, and the overall indebtedness of the country.”
She did report on certain trends of mismanagement of resources such as lack of compliance with financial instructions, embezzlement of funds, missing revenue and receipt books, lack of supporting documents for expenditure, failure to obtain competitive tenders, poor accounting records among others.
Ever since her unceremonious removal, Gambia’s public accounts seem not transparently handled.
According to section 160 (1) (c) of the 1997 constitution of The Gambia, there shall be, “at least once in every year audit and report on the public accounts of The Gambia, the accounts of all offices and authorities of the Government of The Gambia, the accounts of the courts, the accounts of the National Assembly and the accounts of all enterprises.”
Paragraph (d) of the same section says, “within six months of the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which each of the accounts referred to in paragraph (c) relates, report to the National Assembly on the accounts and draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which, in his or her opinion, ought to be brought to the notice of the National Assembly.”
The same section went on to state in (e) and (f) that “(e) and after his or her annual reports on the accounts of the Government of The Gambia, of all offices and authorities of the Government, of the courts and of the National Assembly have been discussed in the National Assembly, cause the same to be published for public information:
Provided that where there is any undue delay in the discussion of any such accounts in the National Assembly, the Auditor General may publish his or her report in advance of such discussion; and (f) exercise such other functions as may be conferred on him or her by an Act of the National Assembly.”
Considering the importance of such an office Gambians are not kept updated on how public funds are spent or managed. A government cannot be accountable if it disregards constitutional provisions that hold it accountable to the people. And any government that is not accountable to the people is prone to absolute power and corruption. The Auditor General’s Report presented to the National Assembly was adopted by the Public Accounts Committee of the House in February 2011 but with little scrutiny.
According to section 7 of the 1997 Constitution, “In the exercise of his or her functions under this Constitution or any law, the Auditor General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.”
The former Accountant General who presented the Auditor General’s Report of 1998 got her computer in her office plugged off and taken to the NIA. Since then such an Auditor General’s Report has never been presented on the public accounts of The Gambia.
Source: DailyNews
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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