I said here, when we considered the previous report, that I would wish that if possible whenever the Auditor- General or the auditors submit reports on current issues, they should also give us the implementation efforts that have been taken by the various institutions on previous comments or previous concerns that were raised by the auditors.
Mr. Speaker, if we could have such a table we would know whether they are making efforts to remedy the situation or not, because if we come here every year and repeat the very mistakes or concerns that have been raised in the previous reports then we will be making very little headway in improving upon our auditing systems.
Mr. Speaker, if you look at sections 15 and 16, they still talk about non reliance on the cash books, or the cash books are not being properly prepared. This same problem existed last year, where we had some balances or cash balances that could not be ascertained or that could not be certified. And if we still have these things with the Auditor-General then we have cause to be worried because these are the very people who are auditing the various governmental institutions.
So if they still have these problems then the earlier we found means of correcting them the better, so that when they get to
the other institutions they can do the right thing. Because, if they have cobwebs in their own rooms then it would be very difficult for us to rely on the auditing that they do for us.
Mr. Speaker, that notwithstanding, I wish to commend the Auditor-General for making all the efforts to be current in most of the areas. For instance, if you take the consolidated accounts, it is the first time that they have been able to work hard for us to be at the current year, that is 2005. I remember when we came in 2001 we were considering consolidated accounts for 1997 and 1996, for which, to me, any audit findings would be rendered useless, excuse me to say, because they might have outlived their usefulness even if any recommendations were made at all.
So we congratulate them on the efforts that they are making but I wish to urge them also to clean their house and make sure that those concerns that have been raised this time round would not be repeated in subsequent years.
Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu (NPP
-- Yendi): Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Public Accounts Committee, I would want to support this motion.
Mr. Speaker, an effective, functioning Auditor-General's Department is a big asset to the conservation of the nation's resources. I have seen references in the report about the hand of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning being clenched instead of opening to the Auditor-General's Department.
I think that it is in the supreme interest of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, which has responsibility for generating and utilizing the nation's resources, to strengthen the hand of the