Civil society and rights groups have lambasted the Accountant General of the Federation, commissioners of finance of the 36 states of the federation and other government officials for choosing to hold a workshop in the United Kingdom at a time when the economy is experiencing a major downturn.
The Office of the AGF reportedly held a workshop on Public Financial Management and International Public Sector Accounting Standards in London, UK.
Findings showed that the workshop was held at Copthorne Tara Hotel, Kensington London, from March 4 to March 9, 2024.
The workshop, titled “Public Financial Management and IPSAS,” brought together state commissioners of finance and officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Over the course of five days, participants engaged in discussions related to IPSAS and its impact on accountability.
The workshop delved into other critical areas such as accounting and reporting in a hyperinflationary economy, as well as the challenges faced in public financial management implementation in Nigeria. Budget implementation challenges were also discussed.
Nigeria is grappling with a persistent foreign exchange crisis, which is worsening the challenges faced by businesses, especially manufacturers. This crisis has been prolonged, stemming from the government’s decisions to remove petrol subsidies and allow the naira to float.
The country is battling with high inflation that has eroded the purchasing power of consumers, aside from food shortage that has led to hunger protests in pockets of the state.
As part of his cost-cutting strategy, President Bola Tinubu recently reduced the size of his entourage and encouraged his team to do the same.
As part of the UK workshop activities, participants had the opportunity for a courtesy visit to the Nigerian High Commissioner in London. The sessions commenced daily at 10:00 am and concluded at 2:30 pm, with participants departing for their respective destinations on March 9, 2023.
However, some Nigerians and rights groups have criticised the AGF and the commissioners for being insensitive to the mood of the nation, saying such a workshop should have been held within the country to save costs.
A human rights group, the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, described the travel embarked upon by the Office of the AGF as needless and a waste of the country’s financial resources.
The Chancellor of the group, Jackson Omenazu, told our correspondent on Wednesday that the decision to move about 36 members of the implementation committee of the agency who are also commissioners of finance for the 36 states to London showed how insensitive the public servants were to the economic plight of the country.
“This is the height of financial recklessness and insensitivity to the economic situation of Nigeria today. If it is a workshop as they have claimed, the accountant general can go for the workshop and come back to replicate the knowledge here to the other commissioners,” he said.
