By Nkechi Eze
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has called on members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gwagwalada Branch, also known as the Eagle Bar, to take a leading role in the enforcement of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007 as a means of promoting fiscal prudence, transparency, and accountability in the management of public resources across all levels of government.
This charge was given during a one-day sensitization session jointly organized by the Commission and the NBA Gwagwalada Branch in Abuja. The event was aimed at deepening the understanding of legal practitioners on the Fiscal Responsibility Act and highlighting their critical role in ensuring its full implementation.
According to a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Bede Anyanwu, the session underscored the strategic importance of lawyers in advancing public finance discipline and governance reforms envisioned under the FRA 2007.
Delivering a paper titled “Enforcing the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007: The Critical Role of Lawyers,” the Director, Legal, Investigation and Enforcement Department of the FRC, and former Secretary of the NBA Bauchi Branch, Charles Chukwuemeka Abana, Esq, emphasized that lawyers have both constitutional and moral obligations to ensure that fiscal laws are not only respected but actively enforced.
Abana explained that the Fiscal Responsibility Act was enacted to instill discipline in the nation’s financial management processes, guaranteeing that public funds are efficiently utilized for the collective good. He stressed that as custodians and interpreters of the law, lawyers are uniquely positioned to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability entrenched in the Act.
Highlighting the participatory nature of the FRA, Abana noted that Section 51 empowers citizens and organizations, including lawyers, professional associations, and civil society groups to initiate legal action against any individual or institution found to be in violation of the Act. He urged members of the Bar to take advantage of this provision to hold public officers accountable for financial misconduct.
“The Fiscal Responsibility Act is a vital tool for promoting good governance. Lawyers must see it as part of their professional duty to ensure compliance with this law. By invoking Section 51 where necessary, we can make public officers more accountable and improve fiscal discipline,” Abana said.
He further encouraged the Nigerian Bar Association to champion advocacy efforts that would support the Commission’s work, including pushing for strategic amendments to strengthen weak areas of the law. Abana also appealed to civil society organizations (CSOs) to collaborate more actively with the FRC by leveraging the FRA framework to demand transparency in governance, devoid of favoritism or political bias.
While conveying the goodwill message of the Executive Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Barrister Victor Muruako, Abana informed participants that the Chairman who is currently attending the International Bar Association Conference in Canada, extended his warm regards and expressed his firm support for the initiative, describing it as a necessary step in deepening fiscal governance consciousness among legal professionals.
In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the NBA Gwagwalada Branch, Clever Owhor, Esq, commended the Fiscal Responsibility Commission for organizing what he described as a “timely and intellectually enriching engagement.” He noted that the session provided valuable insights into the workings of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and opened avenues for closer collaboration between the Bar and the Commission in promoting financial accountability.
“This lecture provides a rare opportunity for our members to understand how the Fiscal Responsibility Act operates and how we, as lawyers, can assist in ensuring compliance. We must see ourselves as partners in strengthening the rule of law and fiscal discipline,” Owhor remarked.
The interactive session featured a lively question-and-answer segment during which participants expressed deep appreciation to the FRC for the enlightenment initiative and advocated for more such engagements across other NBA branches nationwide.
In recent months, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission has intensified its nationwide advocacy and sensitization programmes targeting professional bodies, academia, and civil society organizations. The objective, according to the Commission, is to create widespread awareness of the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and to promote its enforcement as a robust mechanism for ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the management of Nigeria’s public finances.
