Lagos Assembly quizzes 57 councils over 2024 accounts
Lagos Assembly quizzes 57 councils over 2024 accounts
The Lagos State House of Assembly has commenced a two-week scrutiny of the 2024 financial records of the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas, with council chairmen and officials to answer queries raised by the Auditor-General.
The exercise, which began on Tuesday, is being conducted by the House Committee on Public Accounts (Local) and requires the councils to produce documentary evidence and explanations on outstanding issues contained in the Auditor-General’s statutory inspection report.
The review covers the councils’ financial activities for the year ended December 31, 2024, with particular attention to how revenues accruing to them were utilised and whether their expenditures were properly accounted for.
The committee began the exercise with officials from Alimosho, Amuwo-Odofin, Badagry, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ikeja, Oriade and Ifako-Ijaiye local councils.
Chairman of the committee, Nureni Akinsanya, said the exercise was part of the legislature’s statutory responsibility to examine the Auditor-General’s report and ensure that public funds entrusted to the councils were properly accounted for.
He said the council chairmen and relevant officials would be required to respond to outstanding issues raised in the report and provide supporting documents to substantiate their submissions.
Akinsanya said, “The exercise is not intended as a witch-hunt, but rather to enable the committee to discharge its statutory responsibilities objectively, transparently and without bias.”
He added that the committee would scrutinise both revenue and expenditure records before making its findings and recommendations to the House.
According to him, “The committee would particularly ascertain whether revenues accruing to the councils during the period under review were judiciously utilised and properly accounted for, while expenditures would also be subjected to thorough scrutiny.”
The committee chairman directed the council officials to cooperate with the exercise and promptly provide documents, records and explanations requested by the lawmakers.
He said the committee’s findings and recommendations would subsequently be presented before the House for consideration and appropriate action.
The exercise is expected to continue with the appearance of officials from the remaining local governments and LCDAs before the committee.
