In order to ensure accountability and transparency and correct anomalies of past years in the spending of public funds, the Oyo State House of Assembly, through its Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has commenced a probe on Auditor-General’s reports on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Local Government Areas in the state.
The consideration for the public hearing, according to the Committee, will cover three years, 2020, 2021, and 2022 for MDAs and two years, 2023 and 2024, for local government areas.
The public hearing, which is expected to last two weeks, is being held at the Caucus Room of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Secretariat, Ibadan.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Olusola Owolabi, disclosed that the aim of the exercise is to ensure accountability and transparency in the spending of public funds.
The lawmaker, who represents Ibadan North East State constituency 2, said that the House is acting under Sections 85(5-6), 128, and 129 of the Nigerian Constitution to re-examine every query on public income, expenditure, and internally generated revenue by the MDAs and council areas.
Hon. Owolabi, who vowed that the Committee would not hesitate to refer culpable officers to the anti-graft agency for further probe, said that the House of Assembly, after years of unanswered audit queries, is ready to address years of negligence and check how public funds are spent.
”The Constitution has saddled the House of Assembly with the responsibility of rechecking what the Auditor-General has raised. What were the responses of our agencies, ministries, and corporations to the audit queries? That is why we have to invite all MDAs and institutions to come and tell us what their answers to the Auditor-General’s queries were.
”The objective is accountability. Money is being budgeted, and money is being given as releases, but they are not telling us how it is being spent. It is a public fund; it is taxpayers’ money. It belongs to all of us. So, we have to confirm what is being spent on. We have the right as a House of Assembly to scrutinize income and expenditure for accountability and transparency purposes.
”Oyo State has an agency that has to do with the rule of law, that’s number one. Another agency we call OYACA has to do with investigation, investigating corrupt officers and corrupt corporations. These agencies were established so that the accountability of Oyo State money will be paramount. When we find out that any person or any corporation or any agency is culpable, we hand them over to the anti-graft agency so that they can answer in detail so that the law will take its place,” Hon. Owolabi said.
Revealing the guidelines for the public hearing to invited agencies, a member of the Committee, Hon. Olasunkanmi Babalola, warned that officials found liable for misappropriation, unauthorized spending, diversion, or contract irregularities would be referred to Oyo State anti-graft agencies.
He established that the exercise is a legal duty, not a political move, saying that budget passage must be matched by transparent spending.
Other members of the Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts are Hon. Gbenga Oyekola, Hon. Abiodun Babalola, and Hon. Johnson Ogundele.
The Clerk of the House, Bar. Adenike Taiwo Muraina-Akinola, who was represented by the Deputy Clerk, Legal, Mrs. Aderonke Ogundeji, called on all the invited MDAs and local governments to cooperate with the Committee, emphasizing that the exercise is not to witch-hunt them.
