The Senate Committee on Public Accounts (SPAC), on Thursday, approved the 2025 budget estimates for the Office of Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF).

The Committee Chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed (SDP, Nasarawa West), had on Tuesday this week, asked the Auditor-General of the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor Chira, to give clarification on grey areas observed in the budgetary proposals when first presented to the Committee.

Following the directive, the Auditor-General returned to the apex legislative Assembly for a re-presentation of the budgetary proposal, and the lawmakers granted approval to the document.

He, however, informed the Committee that the problem of understaffing facing the office was yet to be fully addressed, a situation that made him to request for recruitment of 247 new staff.

The Chairman of the Committee in his remarks, said “The grey areas observed in the 2025 budget proposal presented by the Office of Auditor General of the Federation on Tuesday this week, have been addressed and cleared as clearly seen in the one presented today.

“Accordingly, this committee has resolved to approve the budget for onward submission to the appropriation committee.

“Auditor-General is more or less, a member of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and by extension, that of the House of Representatives, whose budget should be given rthe equired attention it deserves.

“Your budget has been passed for now but please avoid re-occurrence of grey areas earlier observed because your office is very strategic and sensitive”, he said.

In his response, the Auditor-General thanked the Committee for re-consideration and approval of the 2025 budget of his office, which according to him, when finally passed by the National Assembly, would go a long way, in helping the office to perform better in the current year.