Gov Ugwuanyi constitutes 11-man committee to audit LGAs

Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State on Thursday constituted an 11-member stakeholders committee on Staff Audit and Biometrics Data capturing in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Gabriel Ajah in Enugu said the committee was chaired by the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Prince Edward Ubosi.

According to the statement, the Permanent Secretary (Parastatals), Office of the SSG is the Secretary of the audit committee.
Other members include Messrs Iloabuchi Aniagu, Chuka Ene of the state Assembly, the SSG, and Emeka Nwatu of the Local Government Service Commission.

The rest are the state Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Prince Cornelius Nnaji, Chairman of Udenu LGA and representatives of Education Secretaries and the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB).
The statement said the committee would ascertain the real staff strength of LGAs in order to track down possible ghost workers.

It said the committee would also make inquisition into the factors that made it impossible for some of the councils to pay staff salaries.

According to the nine terms of reference for the committee, it is to determine the financial implication of the staff in respect of monthly salaries of each LGA, ENSUBEB and Pension Board.

The committee is to ascertain the outstanding salaries and allowances of each local government council, ENSUBEB, Local Government Service Commission and Pension Board.

It will also determine the number of political appointees in each of the councils as well as verify total number of primary school teachers in each LGA and pensioners of the Local Government Pension Board.

The committee will also ascertain the number of local government councils’ pensioners and the outstanding pensions and gratuities yet to be paid.

According to the release, the committee will take appropriate actions to capture particulars of all staff of local government areas biometrically, including teachers.

The committee, which has two months to submit its reports, will also inquire into any other matters incidental to the terms of reference and local government administration and make recommendations to the government as it deems fit.