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In his audit report for the year 2021, Paul Oghene Aghanenu, auditor general of Delta State, made some strong indictments, querying several financial transactions of some ministries and agencies of government. He also raised issues of suspected tax evasion and non-recovery of outstanding loans from beneficiaries, even as far back as between 2009 and 2013. Aghanenu, whose nomination by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as substantive auditor general was confirmed by the state House of Assembly July 16, 2019 after acting for some months in that position, also listed several agencies of government which accounts had not been audited for several years.

The affected agencies included the Direct Labour Agency, DLA, – eight years; Delta State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board – three years; Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara – nine years; Capital Development Authority, Asaba – four years; and Warri, Uvwie & Environs Development Authority – three years, amongst others.
In particular, the report indicted the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, BIR, for “weak” recovery of outstanding Pay As You Earn, PAYE tax, citing an example of a Warri-based oil servicing company, Weafri Well Services Co. Ltd which failed to remit its PAYE to the tune of ₦30.6 million, covering a period of 18 months. He also spotted outstanding PAYE of ₦782, 902, 187 as of December 31, 2021. Frowning at estimation of PAYE tax by the BIR, the auditor general was in particular, discomfited by the paltry PAYE taxes recorded for some high-brow private schools.
Also in the report, Aghanenu had recommended “an urgent and comprehensive evaluation” of the state’s unquoted investments to the tune of ₦15, 651, 838, 923. 60 as at December 31, 2021 which, he noted had yielded zero return on investment (ROI).
An attempt by TELL to get further clarifications on some of the issues raised in the report however met a brick wall. Like ping-pong, this reporter was tossed between the office of the auditor general and the public accounts committee, PAC of the Delta State House of Assembly. When the magazine visited the Audit House office of the auditor general at Legislative Close, off DBS Road, Asaba, Aghanenu declined to entertain any questions arising from his report but directed this reporter to the PAC charged with the responsibility of reviewing the report.
Why, for example, were there no sanctions for establishments which accounts had not been audited for years, and for persons defaulting in loans repayment? What steps were taken to ensure that the private sector companies paid appropriate taxes instead of estimated taxes collected as PAYE by the Board of Internal Revenue?
A visibly edgy Aghanenu said he would need to get “clearance” from the speaker of the House of Assembly before he could entertain any question from the press. Lecturing the magazine on what is obtainable, he said “The process is once you have audited, you submit to the House of Assembly and you hands off. Then our report is posted on the website and you can now access it. If you have any question, direct it to the Speaker or chairman, Public Accounts Committee, PAC. If they give me authority in writing, then I can answer questions; I can speak”. Dismissively, he said “So, you go to House of Assembly. Go to public accounts committee”.
Pressed further, Aghanenu let out his real fears. “The Auditor General cannot speak. The one that did it during Obasanjo, you know what happened to him. But the report is self-explanatory”. Recall that in 2003, Vincent Azie, then acting auditor-general of the Federation, was sacked by President Olusegun Obasanjo for publishing a financial report in which many government officials were indicted. Azie had in his report, indicted the presidency, federal ministries and parastatals, as well as the National Assembly. For Aghenenu therefore, fear of job loss is the beginning of wisdom.
