The 4th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting of the West African Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC) was hosted by The Gambia, from 1st – 5th July, 2013. The Theme of the conference was ‘’Parliamentary Oversight, Strengthening the Powers and Practices of Public Accounts Committees’’
The conference was well attended by member nations, sister regional organisations (SADCOPAC, ARAPAC, EAAPAC) the World Bank, the President of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and the Auditor-General of South Africa, Mr. Tereme Mhembe and several other stakeholders.
Nigeria was represented at the conference by the Deputy Chairman of the House of the Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Honourable Auwal Jatau, Public Accounts Committee member, Honourable Kehinde Odeneye, the Auditor-General for the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, the Deputy Clerks to the Senate and House Public Accounts Committees, Malam Abbas Mohammed and Moses Akuma respectively and the two officials of the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation, Messrs Daniel Bosa and Rafiu Taiwo. One of the sessions was chaired by Honourable Auwal Jatau, Deputy Chair of the House PAC.
The conference resolved to encourage member Parliaments to strive for full operational and financial independence and autonomy of Auditors-General’s offices, strengthen relationship between the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Auditors-General’s Offices, encourage Speakers to ensure timely consideration of Public Accounts Committees Reports and make them available to the public and encourage capacity building for Public Accounts Committees, and encourage PACs and Audit Offices to build capacity in oversight of extractive industries.
The Conference was hosted at the Ocean Bay Hotel and Resort, Bakau, Gambia.