FIC Report (Abia State) – The Deputy Governor of Abia State Engr ikechukwu Emetu has enjoined the Heads of Service and financial Officers in local Civil Service Commission to make accountability and transparency their watch word in line with financial management creed of the State Governor who has said that all financial managers of State and local government must be held accountable for their actions or inactions.
He disclosed this while declaring open a three days workshop/seminar organized by “Samuk Media Life Ventures in conjunction with Local Government Service Commission” to train Heads of Services and other key Officers involved in financial management at the local government level.
He charged them to follow all laid down procedures in the financial memoranda , fiscal responsibility act, the state public procurement act and other extant rules and financial regulations to obviate any form of misapplication of funds that may lead towards corruption.
Engr. Emetu described the theme “Local Government Finances: Management, Control and Revenue Generation” as quite apt with the Government’s positive disposition towards greater rural development in the state and zero tolerance to corruption.
In his words, “With the on-going transformation and reforms in the state public service, which only an improved work force can contend with, the Governor has placed a high premium on the training and retraining of the workforce to ensure greater output and achieve efficiency in all the facet of the state service including the local government”.
“As you are aware, the application of due process in all financial transactions at the local government can only be ignored at the peril of the approving and signing authorities.
He commended the Commissioner for local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Permanent Secretary local Government Service Commission for their concerted and coordinated efforts in sustaining the training program for the Staff and noted that with the Calibre of Resource Personnel available that the workshop will be impactful to the benefit of the service.
Earlier In her Address, the Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Princess Ezinne Judith Ngwakwe said that the Seminars/ Workshops aim are to ensure that all strata are affected for optimum performance in the service as well to ensure effective financial management to ensure transparency, accountability and due process on the finances of the local government.
” We have carried the workers through the ‘Application of Public Service Rules, Local Government Administration and Sustainable Community Development, Repositioning the Local Government Service Commission through Administrative processes, procedures , effective fraud control techniques: the Application of due process, Accountability and Anti- Corruption in the Local Government , among others’. She said.
Princess Ngwakwe further charged participants to pay serious attention to the topics which are germane for their successes on the job for the growth of the local government system in view of the on-going reform in the service.
Highlights of the event was paper presentations by various resource persons from the local government system.
Amah Ijeoma
Press unit
Deputy Governor’s office
