The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has called on members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gwagwalada Branch (Eagle Bar) to take an active interest in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007 and use their legal expertise to promote fiscal prudence, transparency, and accountability in the management of public resources across all levels of government.
The call was made during a one-day sensitization session organized by the Commission in collaboration with the NBA Gwagwalada Branch, aimed at deepening lawyers’ understanding of the FRA 2007 and their potential role in ensuring its effective enforcement.
Delivering a lecture 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, stressed that lawyers have a constitutional and moral responsibility to ensure that government officials adhere strictly to fiscal laws.
Abana explained that the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 was enacted to entrench discipline in public finance management, ensuring that the nation’s resources are utilized efficiently and for the common good. He said lawyers, as custodians of the law, are in a unique position to interpret, apply, and enforce the provisions of the Act.
According to him, Section 51 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act empowers citizens and organizations—including lawyers and civil society groups—to take legal action in cases where provisions of the Act are violated. He encouraged lawyers to invoke this section when necessary to hold public office holders and political appointees 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 emphasized.
He also urged the Nigerian Bar Association to develop advocacy initiatives that would support the Commission’s efforts and push for amendments to strengthen the Act. Abana further called on civil society organizations (CSOs) to engage actively with the FRC and use the legal framework of the Act to demand transparency without showing favoritism or bias.
While conveying the goodwill message of the Executive Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Barr. Victor Muruako, Abana informed participants that the Chairman—who is currently attending the International Bar Association Conference in Canada—would have loved to attend in person, but sent his regards and strong support for the initiative.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of NBA Gwagwalada Branch (Eagle Bar), Clever Owhor, Esq, commended the FRC for choosing the branch for such a vital engagement, describing it as “timely and intellectually enriching.” He noted that the interaction would broaden members’ knowledge of public finance laws and open opportunities for collaboration with the Commission, especially in areas relating to legal interpretation and litigation.
“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 stated.
The event featured a robust question-and-answer session where participants expressed appreciation to the Commission for the enlightenment and called for more such engagements across other NBA branches.
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission has, in recent months, intensified its advocacy and sensitization programs across professional bodies, academia, and civil society organizations to create broader awareness of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and promote its enforcement as a mechanism for achieving transparency and accountability in public financial management.