Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, has directed the Auditor-General of Local Government Council to commence immediate audit of the accounts of the 23 Councils.
Fubara gave the direction on Wednesday, after the swearing-in of the Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the 23 LGAs in Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara emphasized on the importance of knowing how finances of the 23 local government councils were managed in the last three years.
He directed the Auditor-General of Local Governments to begin audit of the accounts and make the report available within the next one month.
“I also want to say that, for the local government activities in the past three years, I would want to mandate: which is official assignment, not even a statutory duty, that the Auditor-General should immediately commence the audit of the 23 local government councils in the past three years, and come up with the result in the next one month.
“It is important so that we will know what has happened and how our funds were being used in those 23 LGAs. It is important so that it will be a check for those people who are also coming,”he said.
Fubara instructed the CTC chairmen to work hard to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in their various council areas.
He urged the CTC chairmen to ensure that they compute and pay the outstanding financial benefits, entitlements, including salaries of the outgone chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors.
Fubara warned them against any form of confrontation, insisting that such is not in his nature and style but advised them to be law-abiding as they take full control of the local government councils.
Fubara stated that the tenure of the newly sworn-in CTC chairmen would not be too long,explaining that the process for the conducting fresh elections of local government chairmen and councillors in the state had started.
The Governor advised them to resume at their respective local government councils with utmost sense of duty and commitment to serve the people and protect the interest of the state.