ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State House of Assembly has directed all 25 local government councils in the state to adopt stronger financial management strategies aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and socio-economic development at the grassroots.
The resolution followed the adoption of seven key recommendations presented by the House Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Hon. James Augoye, on the review of the Auditor-General’s report on the consolidated accounts of the councils for the year ended December 31, 2024. The report was considered during Tuesday’s plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.
In its resolution, the House urged councils to intensify internal revenue generation beyond statutory allocations through strategic planning and realistic budgeting, stressing that effective financial discipline would enhance their performance and service delivery.
The Assembly further directed that accounting officers and personnel in charge of financial records be adequately trained and equipped with the necessary tools to improve efficiency. It highlighted the need to address problems such as improper record keeping, delays in preparing general purpose financial statements, poor maintenance of investment registers, and irregular bank reconciliations.
Lawmakers also instructed councils to adhere strictly to financial guidelines on staff advances, insisting that no advance should exceed six months without written approval from the executive committee, and warned against further approvals for officers with outstanding advances.
Attention was also drawn to the non-implementation of the statutory 2% monthly allocation to local government farm projects as provided under the Delta State Local Government Law, 2013. The House stressed that strict compliance was necessary to support agricultural development and align with the state government’s MORE agenda.
The Assembly further recommended that the Office of the Auditor-General (Local Government) sustain continuous auditing of local government accounts to ensure timely annual audits and prompt posting of transactions.
While adopting the report, the House affirmed the accuracy of the income and expenditure records of the councils as presented by the Auditor-General.
Presenting the report, Hon. Augoye noted that the exercise was both challenging and rewarding, adding that the scrutiny and engagements with stakeholders exposed several lapses that needed urgent correction. He explained that the recommendations were designed to strengthen accountability at the local government level and ensure better financial governance.
He commended the cooperation of stakeholders during the review process and expressed gratitude to the House for the opportunity to serve, describing the outcome as satisfactory and a step towards deepening fiscal responsibility across the councils.
