Auditor General’s office to recruit 969 staff in 2019

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Musa Adamu

The office of the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF) yesterday disclosed that in 2019, it will recruit nine hundred and ninety six personnel to enable it replace those who have retired from the agency.
This was disclosed by the Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), Anthony Ekpe Ayeni, during a budget defence session with the Senate committee on Public Accounts, headed by senator Mathew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo state).
Briefing senators during the budget defence session, Ayeni said the agency spent part of the personnel and overhead budget of the agency in 2018 budget to train its staff and in providing them with the required facilities that will enable them perform the responsibilities assigned to them.
He said further that the agency budgeted N3,036,593,799 billion for personnel in the 2019, and has received N1,977,081,170 billion, thereby having a differential of N1,059,512,628 billion.
The Auditor General also pointed out that N2,338,254,333 billion was budgeted by the agency for capital projects, and N188,451,747 million has been released for the agency, leaving a difference of N2,149,802,586 billion.
In the same vein, the chief auditor said the sum of N4,405,442,135 was budgeted by the agency for overhead, while N984,230,795 million has been released, and N3,421,211,340 billion as the difference, just as the recurrent has N7,442,035,934 billion budgeted for it, while N2,962,311,965 is released and N4,450,723,959 difference.
He said the agency scaled down the projects it planned to executive in 2018 because of the shortfall in their budget.
Responding, the senators said the Federal government must show commitment in the fight against corruption, adding that the to prevent corruption, substantial budget and releases must be made to the agency being the cradle in the fight against corruption.