The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has responded to queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation over its 2023 expenditure, saying all issues raised have been comprehensively addressed with documentary evidence.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
According to NiDCOM, its response has been officially submitted to the Office of the Auditor-General as well as the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly, which have the statutory mandate to consider audit matters and exercise legislative oversight.
The Commission said enquiries concerning its 2023 audited report should therefore be directed to the Office of the Auditor-General and the relevant Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.
NiDCOM stressed that an audit query is subject to a response and consideration of the explanations and supporting documents provided by the affected institution.
“For the avoidance of doubt, a query is meant to be responded to and NiDCOM, like any other responsible government institution, has done exactly that,” the statement said.
The Commission further cautioned against drawing conclusions before its response and the accompanying records have been fully considered by the appropriate authorities.
“An audit observation is not, in itself, a final finding of wrongdoing,” NiDCOM said, adding that it would be “premature and inappropriate” for any organisation to prejudge its response or reach conclusions before all relevant facts, records and explanations had been examined.
NiDCOM reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and due process, maintaining that it would continue to cooperate with the relevant oversight institutions in the consideration of the audit issues.
