𝗝𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘄𝗮 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

By George OPARA

The Jigawa State House of Assembly has adopted the report of its Public Accounts Committee (PAC), where gaps in the management of state and local government expenditures between 2019 and 2024 were discovered.

It also called for sanctions and disciplinary measures against anyone found culpable.

The legislative report was approved at plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin.

Chairman of PAC and Deputy Speaker, Hon. Sani Isyaku Abubakar, presented the findings in compliance with Sections 125 and 128 of the 1999 Constitution.

The lawmaker highlighted the committee’s review of reports submitted by the State Auditor-General and the Auditor-General for Local Governments that revealed several irregularities in public spending over the five-year period.

According to him, the committee identified alleged overpayments, unaccounted expenditures, non-compliance with procurement laws, poor record keeping, as well as fictitious and unauthorised payments.

The report also explained inadequate storage facilities for official records and lack of training for some public finance officers, particularly at the local government level.

But the committee addressed the lapses by recommending the recovery of diverted and unaccounted funds through due process, with such monies returned to the public treasury. It also called for sanctions and disciplinary measures against anyone found culpable.

The PAC further advised regular capacity-building and retraining for accounting personnel, especially in local councils, alongside the provision of fireproof storage facilities for proper record management.

It also recommended incentives for staff who demonstrate professionalism and sound accounting practices to promote transparency and accountability in public finance management.

After extensive deliberations, lawmakers unanimously adopted the report.