The Cross River State House of Assembly Committee on Public Account (PAC) has begun its oversight function on Local Governments across the State, beginning from the Northern Senatorial District of State.
The Chairman of the Committee Hon. Odey Brian Wonah, a member representing Yala 1 State Constituency, said the essence of the oversight was to streamline activities in the local government, adding that it is the constitutional responsibility of the House Public Account Committee to oversight the State in income and expenditure.
Wonah, expressed displeasure with revenue heads in the local government saying some of the revenue heads were not properly utilized thereby the local government to lose revenue. He charged the HOLGAs to work out modalities to boost the revenue profile of their respective local governments.
In addition, a few Committee members and ex-officio members, including Hon. Samuel Neji Bang Ikom I, Hon. Agiji Idaga Martins Achadu Yala II, Hon. Pius Ashakia Obanliku, and Hon. Okon Nyong Owuna Akamkpa I, expressed their dissatisfaction with the revenue being generated in the local government areas of Obanliku and Obudu that they had visited. They suggested that the HOLGAs investigate potential leaks among revenue heads to increase local government revenue.
They also stressed that all documents should be submitted to the Committee for thorough review and voiced their displeasure with the lack of pertinent documents, as stated in the letter sent to the various LGAs.
The HOLGA of Obanliku Local Government, Mrs. Obun Mary N., responded by thanking the committee for coming, saying that she knew the visit would benefit the local government. She also assured the committee that all revenue leakages would be fixed, adding that they had already begun working on it.
In an interview, Obudu LGA Chief Nike Egbanabo, the HOLGA, took advantage of the opportunity to urge the government to reduce overhead so that the council could complete some urgent projects. He also mentioned that the council secretariat needed to be renovated.
He stated that this year will see an improvement in revenue generation, given the challenges the council has faced in raising funds over the previous few years, despite their best efforts.
The headcount of the employees in the various Local Governments, as stated in the letter sent to them, was the highlight of the visit.
By Matthew Okache (Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker)
