BY COBHAM NSA, ABUJA – The Federal Government has saved over N500 billion by blocking wastages and leakages in its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the last four years.
This is part of the achievements recorded by the Presidential Initiative for Continuous Audit (PICA) under the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
PICA is primarily focus on systems and frameworks for public finance management and spending of government revenue. It aims at effective utilization of resources through continuous quality assurance, towards improved efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in public financial system.
In March 2018, PICA had said the Federal Government recovered over N144.89 billion from corrupt officials through the implementation of the Whistle-blowing Policy.
The Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr Mohammed Dikwa, who made this disclosure in Abuja, said the Federal Government had through PICA recovered over N144.89 billion from corrupt officials through the Whistle-blowing Policy in March 2018
Speaking when the Alumni of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Abuja Chapter visited him, Dikwa said through the experience garnered from NIPSS, his leadership of PICA was able to record modest achievements in efficient management of public finances.
According to him, “over the last four years, this administration has put in place a lot of policies on ground and I am part of the financial policies put in place at the Ministry of Finance.
“I headed most of the reforms at the Ministry of Finance for the past four years. There are tangible results we have gotten over the years.
“One of the fundamental achievements was saving the government over N500 billion from leakages and wastages under my leadership at PICA.”
Dikwa told the delegation that without the initiative in place, the huge amount involved would have been frivolously spent and wasted by MDAs, adding; “It was because of this initiative that we were able to save that money from treasury looters.”
The Permanent Secretary also listed the Whistle-blowing Policy among the measures initiated by PICA, adding that; “We were able to succeed not only from recoveries, but stopped people from doing the wrong things as far as the government circle was concern.
“When we came up with the policy, an average of 11, 000 tips were received on a monthly basis, but now, we hardly receive 20 to 30 tips simply because people have reduced the wrong doings in government. Before now, funds are released to MDAs for specific purpose, but before you know, the money would be diverted into other things, and nobody knows.“
“The external auditors will not know, so we came in between the external and internal audit to ensure the money being released to MDAs are spent for that purpose, and we held all the Account Officers accountable for every kobo released to them.”
Also commenting on the Fiscal Sustainability Plan, Dikwa said it was extended to states and local governments because of agitations that “all our policies were concentrated at the Federal level and not being extended to states and local governments, so we came up with Fiscal Sustainability Plan.”
He however explained that 22 conditions were given to the states and local governments as an incentive for them to enjoy support from the Federal Government.
“One of these conditions was to ensure publication of every expenditure they had through their websites and other publications; their allocations, what comes to the states monthly and budget process. And that they should also have continuous audit extended to all the agencies they have as well as the Whistle-blowing Policy.
“The major thing is to ensure transparency and accountability in the states and local governments. This has made the states buoyant.”
Expressing happiness that the initiative recorded huge success, Dikwa said; “Prior to this, about 20 states were unable to pay their salaries, hence the bailout funds, budget support facility from the Federal Government. However, now, most of the states can pay their salaries and meet their capital spending. I was the one who champion these policies before I became a Permanent Secretary.”
In his remarks, Head of the Delegation, Dr. Mobolaji Olowo congratulated Dr Dikwa on his appointment as a Permanent Secretary as well as the recent Nelson Mandela Award for Public Service.
Noting that they were proud of Dikwa’s achievements as a member of the Alumni, the team, on behalf of the Alumni, also presented him with an award in recognition of his excellent performance as a public servant.
