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Recently Governor Abdulahi Sule of Nasarawa state appointed the two term former speaker, Nasarawa state house of assembly, Dr. Musa Ahmed Muhammad as the new Accountant General of the state. In this piece, Nath Emberga, writes on how he is raising the bar of financial discipline and transparency in the state.
Aiming at getting it properly done is a reflection of ensuring excellence in practice and the upholding of integrity and accountability in office. As the word stresses, accounting means to account and give necessary details when enquired as required by law.
The government is a key-player in standing tall to establish a platform for impeccable accountability of its people’s hard-earned resources to keep the people in touch with the fact that their accounts are jealously protected and meticulously guarded in spending and receiving of funds as the public accounts’ principle emphasizes.
Besides, this accentuates maturity and quality of people to be sought for by appointing agents or agencies to manage public accounts which are resources that must be handed over to a person with unmatched integrity to oversee.
Recently, the Nasarawa State Government had appointed a new Accountant-General of the state, Dr. Musa Ahmed Muhammad, an accomplished chartered accountant, reputable academic, experienced technocrat and exceptional politician whose footprints in development politics in the advancement of democracy and development in Nigeria are among the unrivalled.
Dr. Muhammad while taking over from his predecessor, Mr. Zakka Yakubu, promised to render exemplary service to the state in total absence of financial misappropriation, resource exploitation and maladministration of funds and assets of the Nasarawa State people who have entrusted him with the ranking position of the Accountant-General who is the head of the state government accounting services and treasury, likewise responsible for providing adequate accounting systems and controls in the state ministries, departments and agencies due to his sagacity, distinction, quality and unsurpassed competence.
This medium leant that since assumption of office the new accountant has fulfilled many financial obligations of the state.
Muhammad who reports to the office latest 8 am leaves beyond the official closing ours of 4 pm in most cases, and this runs in all the official working days.
It is manifestly evident that a large number of the people may have been parsimonious on the functions and functionality of the office of an Accountant-General. With the short span of time spent so far by Dr. Musa Ahmed Muhammad in office as A-G, he has risen the bar of financial discipline in the state.
The public should know that the office of an Accountant-General nationwide is recognized to keep custody of and maintaining records of all public funds, treasury of the state, supervising the accounts and financial records of all MDAs of the state, preparing the statutory financial statement of the state and all other financial reports, public debt service and repayment, control of the treasury pool of accountants and internal auditors.
Other functions of an Accountant General are, instituting annual board of survey & enquiries, as well as handling matters relating losses of funds/stores, formulation of treasury circulars and enforcement of financial instructions and the disbursement of funds from the consolidated revenue fund and other public funds in line with law, statutes and financial instructions. The last function captures ‘instruction’ meaning he cannot pay you directly as it is not recognised in the purview of the law establishing the office but only when otherwise instructed. The new Ag has since commence his assignment in the above direction.
In an interview with a staff of accountant general’s office who pleaded anonymity said “Dr. Muhammed has been a remarkable spec in upholding good leadership quality and recruitment. It is simply attested to looking at his speakership record at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly from 2007-2015. Just a litmus test of his pragmatism which only allows him to do what is right and promote what is expected of him. Anything short of this is not in conformity with his understanding of public service which is acceptable worldwide. We have leant a lot from him within his few months here”; the anonymous said.
Apart from operating an open door policy, he is visionary public servant, wealth creator and a silent achiever he is raising the bar to right the wrongs in the system inline with the schedule associated with his job
As the media and good governance are unequivocally conjoined twins, Dr. Muhammed believes that corporate governance must be emulated. As such, he raises the bar for good information gathering, reporting and partnership with the media for effective service to the attainment of government’s policies, goals and obligations on good governance. It is not ambiguity to put it on record that with proper action in managing offices, the objectives of government and the people will be achieved.
No wonder his appointment was welcome with massive celebrations, signifying that governor Abdulahi Sule was right to appoint the two term former speaker of the Nasarawa state house of assembly as Accountant General of the state.