The Federal Government has warned that it will no longer take responsibility for unpaid liabilities incurred by State Governments.
To address this issue, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Dr. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein, urged States to plug revenue leakages to enhance revenue generation and collection.
“This will ensure that state governments receive their revenues as and when due, and the Federal Government will not be burdened by unpaid liabilities,” Madein stated.
She spoke during her working visit to the Federal Pay Office in Kano, according to a statement from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), by Director of Press and Public Relations, Bawa Mokwa.
Madein stressed the need for financial discipline, directing Federal Pay Officers (FPOs) to ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) comply with the Federal Government’s public financial management reform initiatives.
She urged FPOs to embrace financial prudence and adopt new financial reforms in their daily operations. “The use of manual processes in carrying out financial activities will soon be over. The use of modern technology in the accounting profession is key and vital,” she said.
The AGF also disclosed that her office has commenced the implementation of an enterprise concept management system to fully digitize financial activities, including those of FPOs.
She further encouraged FPOs to embrace the performance management system, which will replace the traditional Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER). “This system will involve all staff and serve as a tool for measuring management performance,” she explained, urging FPOs to be digitally ready and proficient in computer operations.
Speaking on behalf of the North-West Zone FPOs, Aminu Umar, Chairman of the Committee of FPOs, expressed gratitude for the AGF’s visit. “It will go a long way as a pace-setter for the incoming Accountant General after your leave,” he stated.
