Immediate past Gombe Governor Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo said that his life was under threat for championing the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA).
Speaking at the public presentation/book launch of “Treasury Single Account Policy in Nigeria” by the Director, Finance and Administration, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Salawu Zubairu, Dankwambo said: “For people like me, we had to be given extra security, like they had to change our houses, we had to be accompanied by police because of the threats over the implementation of financial reforms.”
Going forward, Dankwanbo called on the federal government to strengthen all of Nigeria’s financial and treasury reforms.
One way of strengthening financial and treasury reforms he said should include documentation as well as back all financial reforms initiatives by law so that politicians do not take them for granted.
He noted that except reforms are properly documented and supported by legal framework, politicians can take advantage of the inherent loopholes for political gains.
Describing Treasury Single Account (TSA) reform as a laudable of financial and treasury reforms, Dankwambo, a onetime Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), tasked treasury officials and finance officials in government establishments to come with similar reforms.
According to him: “I hope other reforms, similar reforms will be documented in this way. Going forward, for me that has also experienced the other side of the country as a politician, reforms can come and reforms can go. These reforms must be made into law so that we politicians who come and go will not just come and take all these reforms for granted and waste them”.
The former governor then challenged the incumbent AGF, Mr. Ahmed Idris, to ensure that existing finance Acts are reviewed so that politicians who “come and go” do not influence them.
Ahmed said the book no doubt will add value and deepen understanding of TSA policy by Nigerians
Idris said the book will among other things, be of immense benefits to state governments planning to implement the TSA.
