The State House of Assembly has adopted the report of its Public Accounts Committee on the review of the report of the State Auditor General on the Accounts of the Delta State Government for the year ended 31st December 2020.
The report as presented by the Chairman of the Committee and member representing Ika North East, Hon Anthony Elekeokwuri was adopted at Wednesday’s plenary of the House, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Ochor Christopher Ochor.
Presenting the report, the Chairman, Assembly Committee on Public Accounts, Anthony Elekeokwuri said the submission of the 2020 Audit report of the Auditor General State for consideration by the House, was in compliance with the 1999 Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as altered.
Hon Elekeokwuri explained further that the Delta State Audit Law, Rules of the House and other regulatory frameworks also gave the State Assembly the powers to carry out the review exercise.
The Lawmaker stated that based on findings the committee made some recommendations, stressing that members are of the opinion that the 2020 Auditor General’s report is complete as the financial statement gave a true and fair view of the activities of the state government for the year ended 31st December 2020.
He also acknowledged that the Auditor General’s report was prepared in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standard, IPSAS in accounting and reporting, disclosing that Ministries, Agencies and Departments, MDAs affected by the 2020 Audit Report were able to clear all observations and queries raised against them.
Motion for the adoption of the report was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon Ferguson Onwo, seconded by the Chief Whip, Hon Pat Ajudua and adopted.
In a related development, the State Assembly has adopted the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the review of the report of the Auditor General Local government on the Accounts of the 25 Local Government Councils for the year ended 31st December 2019 and 2020.
The Chairman of the committee, Anthony Elekeokwuri said the reports were submitted to the state legislature in strict compliance with section 125, subsection 5 of the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria, section 16 of the Delta State Audit law 2021 and section 91 of the Delta State Local Government law 2013 as amended.
Elekeokwuri explained that on the aggregate the 25 local government councils in the state performed relatively well during the period under review, disclosing that all the councils received funds from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, lower than their approved budget in both 2019 and 2020 fiscal year.
On the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, the lawmaker said the percentage of performance remained negligible for both periods, even as he revealed that the book keeping procedures of some of the local government councils are still inadequate.
Elekeokwuri however disclosed that the committee had recommended that all Chairmen of the Councils should formulate strategies to facilitate better financial controls and management procedure for enhanced economic and social development of the grassroots amongst others recommendations.
Motion for the adoption of the report was moved by the Majority Leader, Ferguson Onwo, seconded by the member representing Ndok West, Charles Emetulu, and adopted.
The Deputy Speaker, Ochor Christopher Ochor who presided the Wednesday’s legislative session commended the committee for diligently reviewing the two reports from the Auditor General State and that of the Local Government.