The Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu, Jim Obazee, has called on lawmakers to address the issues of corruption, inefficiencies, and waste in government operations.
Obazee made this call during his speech at an award ceremony hosted by ThisNigeria, where he and four other distinguished Nigerians were honoured.
He emphasised the crucial role of lawmakers in ensuring that government ministries, departments, and agencies effectively deliver on their mandates by eliminating financial mismanagement.
A statement on Sunday also quoted Obazee as stressing the need for effective distribution of Federal Government palliatives, saying lawmakers at both the federal and state levels must be alive to their oversight functions.
He said, “We have state Assemblies just as we have the National Assembly. The lawmakers therein are to track down corruption, inefficiencies, and waste in government business. That should be the role of the federal and state assemblies. They should be able to design a better way to ensure government delivers on campaign promises and physical distributions.”
Obazee further stated that the significant powers held by lawmakers, including their oversight functions and authority, could be used to scrutinise the financial operations of any government institution to ensure accountability and adherence to legal mandates.
In his preliminary report submitted to President Tinubu in December 2023, Obazee criticised the 9th National Assembly’s approval of the N22.7tn Ways and Means advances, arguing that it violated Section 38 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007.
The report also noted that the advances contravened Section 80(2) of the Constitution, which prohibits the spending of public funds without appropriation by the National Assembly. This violation is considered a criminal act under the Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Act as well as the penal code applicable in the Federal Capital Territory.
Obazee, who was the former Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council, received the Gold Prize in Public Service from ThisNigeria Newspaper for his efforts in uncovering and addressing corruption within the CBN under its former governor, Godwin Emefiele
Other awardees at the ThisNigeria event included the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who received a Gold Prize for Infrastructure Revolution and Exceptional Leadership; Governor Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, awarded a Gold Prize for Courage in Leadership; Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, recognised with a Gold Prize for Peacebuilding and Innovative Leadership; and Comrade Issa Aremu, honoured with a Gold Prize in Public Service for effective government-workforce engagement.
