Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Lagos assembly begins probe of MDAs audit report

By Gbenga Salau and Kehinde Olatunji
27 November 2018   |   4:02 am
Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts (State) has begun investigation into audit reports of over 200 Ministries...

• Urges Buhari to caution customs over loss of lives
• State loans over N7b to 10,000 entrepreneurs

Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts (State) has begun investigation into audit reports of over 200 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for probity and accountability.

The chairman, Moshood Oshun, who spoke with newsmen after the committee interrogated the Physical Planning Permit Authority, said that the exercise was to ensure judicious spending of public funds.

According to him, the exercise is an annual ritual for the house committee whenever the auditor-general finishes his job on the MDAs in the state.

“This is expected by the law. We are going to treat every MDA. Lagosians stand to know how their money is being expended. The exercise will ensure that public funds are spent in the right way. There are processes that must be followed. Lagos residents voted for us to protect their interests, money and the state. This is one way of doing that.”

In another vein, the assembly called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) over incessant pursuit of alleged smugglers beyond the borders, leading to the loss of innocent lives.

The call was made yesterday sequel to a matter of urgent public importance raised by David Setonji (Badagry II), citing the killing of Mrs. Patience Oni by the customs around Badagry roundabout on November 20, 2018 while chasing rice smugglers.

Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said that over N7 billion has been disbursed to over 10,000 entrepreneurs in the last three and half years as loans by the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).

He was speaking yesterday at the presentation of cheques to over 2,000 new beneficiaries of the fund.

Ambode expressed gladness that the programme had been impactful, and that all those he appointed to manage the project helped him to overcome the initial fears he nursed about the project.

0 Comments