AIRBDA on Tuesday 26th of July, 2022 played host to a team of Auditors from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation. The visit was meant to coordinate Environmental Audit of the Niger River Basin: Water Resources Quantity Management for the period of 2012 to 2021.
On ground to receive the team was our MD, Engr Gerald Osuagwu, Top Management and other key staff of the Authority.
MD described the exercise as very important because of the investment of the Government and International Community in that area.
The leader of the team, Mr Stephen Chinedu Uwamah gave a brief history of the Audit and insight into their mission in AIRBDA.
According to him, the process started in 2014 in Mombasa, Kenya, at the meeting of Auditors General of the African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions Working Group on Environmental Audit (AFROSAI WGEA). The Auditors General saw the need based on public outcry about the degradation of Nile River and Niger River to embark on the Environmental Audit to forestall what happened to Lake Chad Basin. He further stated that planning meeting was held in Niamey, Niger in November/December 2021 marking the beginning of this Audit.
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources being responsible for water resources in Nigeria with other key agencies like the 12 River Basins, NIHSA, etc would be very important source of data gathering for their assignment.
AIRBDA is selected for sampling and auditing because Niger Bridge is located in Onitsha which is under AIRBDA.
MD in his closing remark said it was a welcome development, and promised that their interview questions would be responded to accordingly.
