The Ogun State House of Assembly has charged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state to ensure prompt reconciliation of their financial records to enhance transparency and accountability.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-Corruption (PAAC) Mr Damilare Bello, gave the charge during the review of submissions from the State Ministry of Transport and the Bureau of Electrical Engineering Services on Friday.
Bello described the exercise as part of vital legislative oversight aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and prudent management of public resources for the benefit of the people of the state.
He said the exercise was constitutionally grounded, noting that Section 125(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers the House of Assembly to scrutinise the financial operations of all the MDAs.
Bello, who led other members of the committee in reviewing the submissions from the ministries, emphasised the need for proper collation and professional presentation of financial reports.
“We expect all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure prompt reconciliation of their financial records in order to enhance transparency and accountability.
“Your reports must be professionally collated and aligned with the Auditor-General’s report. Any inconsistencies observed should be corrected before re-submission,” he said.
He noted that aligning records with the Auditor-General’s report would promote accountability and strengthen public trust in government institutions.
The chairman, alongside the Majority Leader, Mr Yusuf Sheriff, the Minority Leader, Mr Lukman Adeleye, and other members, stressed the importance of submitting reconciled reports with all the necessary supporting documents for timely legislative review.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Mrs Tokunbo Peters, assured the committee of the ministry’s readiness to comply.
“We will carefully address all the observations raised by the committee and ensure that our reconciled records are properly aligned with the Auditor-General’s recommendations,” she said.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Energy, Mr Jide Onakoya, represented by Mrs Abike Oladunjoye, pledged the bureau’s commitment to compliance.
“We will ensure that our revised submissions reflect all the recommendations contained in the Auditor-General’s report and meet the expectations of the committee,” she said.
Newsmen reports that the assembly, through its Committee on Public Accounts and Anti-Corruption, commenced the exercise of the 2024 Audit Report on State MDAs on Wednesday
