PDP Should Clear Members Of Fraud Allegations, Rather Than Attack Audit Firm – Kwara APC

By Ayodele Oni

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state has taken a swipe at opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) for not being able to distinguish between a statutory audit and forensic audit before criticizing government.

APC in its reaction to weekend condemnation by PDP of government contracting out audit of state account to an unrecognized firm, described the opposition of ignorant of government activities.

PDP in a statement, signed by the Publicity Secretary, Tunji Moronfoye described the transaction as “another unfortunate shady transaction perpetuated by the Kwara state All Progressives Congress (APC) regime, led by Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

“According to the results of our legal query undertaken at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was discovered that the audit firm purportedly “hired” by the incompetent and mediocre regime, SSAC Advisory and Proffessional limited, is an inactive or dormant firm.

“This is according to a CAC signed report. Simply put; the company has not been making returns, declaring its income or paying any taxes.

“This is the same firm that the Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq regime, purportedly hired to carry out a “forensic audit” for Kwara state.

“Following the evidence, we hereby put it to the Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led APC party regime, that there was no forensic audit carried out between the years 2011-2019 as claimed by the regime.

APC publicity secretary Alhaji Tajudeen Aro, in a statement, said the fact that the PDP could not distinguish between a statutory audit which the Auditor General carries out as a matter of duty, and a forensic audit, which the Governor as Chief Executive, or the Executive Council can commission on suspicion of any fraud across government agencies, testifies to why the state was in such a big mess under their regime.

“For example, the Federal Government has repeatedly commissioned Forensic and Process audits of many of its agencies, including the NNPC, NPA, NIMASA etc.

“These audits were not necessarily carried out by the Office of Auditor General. We aver that the PDP is suffering from crass ignorance in saying that the forensic audit should have been carried out or commissioned by the Auditor General.

“Which law stated that? None. It is a claim built on pitiable ignorance by those who often beat their chest about being well-educated.

“The firm contracted to do the job has past and current engagements with the Federal Government, State Governments, private firms, and international agencies.

“Certainly these bodies could not have missed out or overlooked the issues of the firm being up to date in what is required of it as a consultancy firm and a registered business.

“Infact, the Federal Bureau of Public Procurement has issued an IRR to this firm for 2022, meaning that they are fully compliant to carry out work even for the Federal Government.

“We urge the PDP to limit its ignorance to its circles of hangers-on, rather than advertise its incompetence and arrogance to the whole world.

“We find it rather shameful that the PDP could in fact hang its infantile claim on a firm purportedly having an ‘inactive’ status on a website whose currency or accuracy the CAC customers do not have power over.

“Any reasonable person ought to know what a firm’s bonafides with CAC and other statutory body entail.

“Finally, we advise the key characters in PDP to prepare themselves for the grave consequences of their sheer abuse of office, instead of fooling around with laughable claims and diversionary tactics.

“Furthermore, in the interest of the good people of Kwara State, we also advise PDP to address the substance of the report which reveals substantial fraud and misapplication of funds, rather than chase shadows.”