BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, has said that reform initiatives all over the world are aimed at improving governance for efficiency and effectiveness.
Idris, who stated this when he received in audience the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR), Mr. Dasuki Arabi and his Management team at the Treasury House, Abuja, said that reform initiatives is aimed at moving away from old ways of doing things to modern ways.
While congratulating Arabi on his appointment as the Director-General of BPSR, Idris noted that under his leadership, he has carried out good reforms in the Public Service.
He said that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and BPSR have a common goal of making Nigeria change for the better, adding that the various reform drives of the OAGF which include the Treasury Single Account (TSA), International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS), implementation of Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS), Audit modernisation and Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS).
He further said; “The Audit modernisation is aimed at making Audit more scientific by moving from analogue to a more digitized way of Auditing. This is a departure from the old ways of file transfer and Audit record check in the usual conventional analogue form, he added.
“Therefore, the next level of Audit checking is ready, the department has well trained staff, web based Audit laboratory filled with computers.”
While appreciating the Director-General of BPSR in grading the OAGF 90% in ranking for its reform initiatives and zeal to do more, Idris promised to explore other areas that would benefit both agencies saying that the office clearly understand its mandate in reform initiatives.
According to him; “Being a coordinating Agency, BPSR would face challenges in the course of the reforms hence OAGF is ever ready to cooperate and partner with them in capacity building and training.”
Earlier, the Director-General of BPSR requested the AGF to post a Director of Finance and Accounts to BPSR who can turn around the accounting system in BPSR and above all, the Financial Autonomy given to the BPSR by AGF.
Arabi said that due to the need for a one-stop shop where reform information can be obtained, BPSR was set up in 2004 to serve as engine room and center for coordination of reforms among the MDAs, adding that there were pockets of reforms being carried out in different MDAs before BPSR came on board.
He said the BPSR has a Steering Committee on Reform chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and assisted by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and other members which include Accountant-General of the Federation.
Arabi also said that the main role of the Steering Committee is to guide BPSR to do better, adding that members of the committee are heads of centers and key agencies of Government that have a lot to do in reforms.
He further said; “The reports of the activities are given to the Steering Committee for validation, approval, and corrections hence, members are expected to send memos and progress reports on the various reforms initiatives in their MDAs.”
