Lagos Assembly Probes State Joint Account

BABATOLA MICHAEL
Sequel to a number of complaints it received, the Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered an inquiry into the activities of the State Joint Account Committee which manages the state’s share from the federal allocation.

Consequently, Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji set up an Ad-hoc Committee March 30 to probe based on a complaint made by Chairman, House Committee of Local Government Public Account, Hon. Mudasiru Obasa.

In the complaint, Obasa said his committee observed some irregularities in the affairs of the Joint Account Committee. Specifically, he said the executive government has been making deductions, which he termed illegal, from the account.

Obasa said: "The Assembly is empowered to give directive on the allocation of funds accruing to the joint account but the executive government has not been complying with the directive."

But the committee set up by the Assembly to investigate the activities of the State’s Joint Account Committee last Monday requested for two more weeks to submit its report.

The committee, which was supposed to submit its report today, could only present an interim report on one of its assignments, which the House refused to accept.

Speaking at the Assembly, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade representing Ikorodu said the committee needs more time to “present a comprehensive report” to the House. This is because the committee has to question several government officials it has invited.

"Those invited are the commissioner for finance, commissioner and permanent secretary for local government and chieftaincy titles, the members of the joint account committee and representatives of local government," Agunbiade explained.

The Joint Account Committee has been a subject of public outcry since its creation, especially from the local government level. The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees has even repeatedly called for the abrogation of the law creating the account.

A local government chairman in Lagos, who does not want his name mentioned, said the State’s executive government does not trust the local government chairmen enough to allow them use the federal allocation meant for them.

According to him, "that is why you don’t see the same level of development happening at the State level in our local governments. The local governments are starved of fund," he said.