The Ondo State House of Assembly has commenced a three-day public hearing on the Auditor-General’s reports on the audited accounts of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state for the 2023 and 2024 financial years.
The exercise, conducted by the House Committee on Public Accounts, aims at addressing outstanding audit queries, resolving financial irregularities and clearing backlogs in the financial records of the local governments.
Declaring the exercise open, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moyinolorun Ogunwumiju, said the exercise was in line with Section 125(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which promotes accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.
Ogunwumiju ,who is also the Parliamentary Secretary of the House noted that ongoing reforms in the local government system had brought significant improvements to the conduct of government business, stressing that the exercise was intended to consolidate the progress recorded.
He commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for his commitment to accountability and for giving the committee the necessary independence to discharge its legislative responsibilities without interference.
The committee chairman also appreciated the Speaker of the House, Chief Olamide Oladiji, for his support to the various committees in the effective discharge of their duties.
While commending the Auditor-General for Local Governments and his team for their professionalism and prompt submission of the audit reports, Ogunwumiju urged officials of the invited local governments to cooperate fully with the committee and conduct themselves with decorum.
He emphasised that the exercise was not intended to witch-hunt anyone but to strengthen accountability and improve financial management at the local government level.
Ogunwumiju urged the 18 local governments to use the opportunity to address outstanding audit queries, correct identified lapses and improve their financial procedures.
In his remarks, the Auditor-General for Local Governments, Mr Charles Ojuolape, appreciated the committee for its support, which he said had contributed to the success of the audit process.
Ojuolape said the exercise was constitutionally required to ensure that audited accounts were subjected to independent and unbiased assessment by the Public Accounts Committee.
He urged the local governments to adhere to the recommendations contained in the reports, particularly those relating to improved revenue documentation and the proper signing of financial documents.
During the technical session, six local governments appeared before the committee to respond to audit queries. The councils, including Ese-Odo, Akoko South-West, Okitipupa, Ondo East, ldanre, and Akoko North -East took turns to provide explanations and clarifications on issues raised in their respective audit reports.
Other committee members, while considering the responses from the affected local governments, advised the councils to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency and comply with previous recommendations contained in the Auditor-General’s reports and those of the committee.
The committee is expected to continue the review with other local governments during the three-day exercise.
The Hope
