Rivers Sole Administrator Audits LG Accounts

The Sole Administrator Rtd vice Admiral ibok- Ete Ibas of Rivers State has planned to establish a verification committee to scrutinize the account books of local government councils.

This is due to transparency and accountability concerns in the finances of the local government councils.
Local government administrators are now required to present their financial statements for vetting, sources informed us.

In response, the state leadership has moved to ensure prudence through a credible verification process.
“Accountability in public finance cannot be overstressed. The verification committee will go through financial books to ensure compliance with finance regulations and prevent mismanagement,” a government source stated.

This follows wider moves by the Rivers State government to enhance financial control in local government. Last year, Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed an audit of all 23 local government councils, a move designed to review financial activity in the last three years.

Political analysts comment that this fresh initiative is a sign of tightening of the purse strings at the local government level.

“The verification committee is a move in the right direction to ensure that public money is spent and accounted for,” a governance expert said.

The action has precipitated mixed reactions among stakeholders. While some praise the action as a step towards openness, others view it as politically motivated. One of the local government chairmen, who spoke anonymously, worried that the action could be selective investigation.

And as the process advances, all will be looking toward the Rivers State government to see how much diligence the verification committee is exercising its responsibilities and whether or not taking this measure will lead to a greater fiscal responsibility across the local government councils.