The Ondo State House of Assembly has raised concerns over inadequate financial documentation in several local government areas, saying proper record-keeping is critical to strengthening accountability in the state.
The Chairman of the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Mr Moyinolorun Ogunwumiju, disclosed this at the end of a three-day 2023 and 2024 auditing conducted across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Ogunwumiju said the committee reviewed financial records presented by the councils and treated various queries and infractions referred to it by the Office of the Attorney-General for Local Governments.
He said the exercise revealed gaps in documentation in some of the local governments, adding that although the committee did not detect sharp practices.
“We noticed that a lot of documentation was lacking in most of the local governments.
“We did not detect sharp practices, but in accountability terms or accounting terms, it is very important that there is a cash flow, there is a money flow. We must know who is doing what.
“Everybody has a claim, and that has to be clear and concise,” he said.
He said that proper documentation would enable the government to track the movement and utilisation of public funds and establish responsibility for financial transactions.
Ogunwumiju said the committee had consequently directed the local government to take specific steps to improve their accounting systems and maintain comprehensive financial records.
The chairman said the exercise also recorded an improved level of accountability, with fewer queries raised from the local government level compared with previous exercises.
According to him, the development indicates growing awareness among local government officials about the need to manage public resources responsibly.
The PAC Chairman commended Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa for his emphasis on accountability at the local government level, saying the Assembly had also keyed into the administration’s efforts to ensure transparency in the management of public funds.
He said the committee expected further improvement in the local government’s financial records during the next auditing.
Ogunwumiju also called on the local governments to provide comprehensive records of contractors and consultants engaged in the collection of internally generated revenue, saying such disclosure would help eliminate secrecy and strengthen financial accountability.
He commended the local governments for their cooperation during the exercise and the Local Government Service Commission for supporting stability across the local government areas.
He promised that the committee would continue to subject the financial activities of local governments across the three senatorial districts to objective scrutiny in the interest of accountability to the people of the state.