In continuation of presenting the audited accounts of the 18 local government councils for the financial year ended, the Cross River Assembly has received the report of the financial year by the committee of public accounts headed by Hon. Brian Odey on Tuesday during the plenary session.
The chairman of the committee, Hon. Brian Odey, representing Yala 1 State constituency, while presenting the report, mentioned the internal auditors of the local governments have been fulfilling their responsibilities of assisting and safeguarding the assets of their respective local governments, as stipulated in the financial memoranda.
In a statement, Hon Brian further stated that for the local government councils to make progress and ensure effective administration, the following recommendations should be noted:
1. Maintenance and proper documentation of all financial transactions require compliance with applicable laws.
2. Local government executives should ensure compliance with genuine resolutions of the local government councils.
3. Internal auditors of local governments should prepare an audit program to guide the councils in fulfilling their responsibilities.
4. Local governments should not rely solely on federal grants but must explore new ways to generate more revenue for the required services etc , etc.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) clearance of the local government’s audited report, means they have reviewed the report and found no significant issues or irregularities. This usually involves examining the report for compliance with regulations, efficiency of spending, and effectiveness of resource allocation. The PAC’s clearance signals that the local government’s finances are in order and that the audited report is satisfactory.
This underscores Hon Brian’s unwavering commitment to fulfilling his duties in respect of effective oversight of local government revenues and public expenditures.
