ODHA commences review of Auditor-General’s 2022 report
By Precious Oluwole
The Ondo State House of Assembly has commenced a public sitting to review the 2022 audited reports of the Auditor-General for Local Governments, scrutinising the accounts of the state’s 18 local government areas.
The three-day exercise, which began on Monday, is being conducted by the House Committee on Public Accounts and features six local governments undergoing questioning and clarification sessions.
The Committee has urged the office of the Auditor-General for Local Governments to organise seminars for accountants, Directors of Finance and Administration (DFAs) to boost their capacity for effective service delivery at the grassroots.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Tunji Fabiyi, made this call during the public sitting, emphasising that such training is crucial to enhance the performance of senior local government officials.
He noted that improved performance would ensure government efforts to improve the lives of residents at the grassroots are impactful.
Fabiyi highlighted that the Nigerian Constitution empowers the State House of Assembly to audit local government finances.
He clarified that the ongoing review is not a witch-hunt but an exercise to promote transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
“And the essence of it is to normalise whatever abnormality that might have happened in the bookkeeping of the local government. Therefore, nobody is having hidden agenda towards that, other than for us to come here and do the needful,” he stated.
The Auditor-General for Local Governments, Mr Atiaro Benson, noted that the exercise is routine and essential to ensure funds allocated to local governments are utilised judiciously”.
He commended the Committee for conducting the yearly audit, which, he said, had led to an improvement in local governments’ audit performance compared to previous years.
While assuring residents of improved service delivery, Benson appealed for government support in areas such as recruitment, funding, and capacity building to enhance the efficiency of local government operations.
Post Comment