Delta House of Assembly, on Tuesday, ordered local government chairmen in the state to ensure that all outstanding deductions to relevant agencies were remitted without delay.
The order was part of the recommendations of the Anthony Elekeokwuri-led House committee on public accounts on the review of the report of the auditor-general (Local Government) in the account of the 25 local government areas of the state from 2017 to 2018.
Presenting the report of the committee at a plenary presided over by the speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, the chairman, Elekeokwuri ordered the LGAs to stop the trend of non-remittance of deductions on behalf of a third party.
The House enjoined the councils to ensure proper maintenance of cash books in line with financial memorandum of the relevant laws.
The legislature urged the councils to ensure timely payment of all internally generated revenue (IGR) to the Consolidated Revenue Funds as provided for in section 55 of the Delta State Local Government law 2013.
While admitting that the 2017 to 2018 reports of the auditor-general (Local Government) gave a true and fair view of the operations of the LGAs, Elekeokuri, however, observed the existence of over-bloated and long-standing unretired advances in the accounts of all the 25 local government areas of the state.
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He explained that the 2017 and 2018 financial year was substantially stable especially looking at the political and economic spheres in the state and the country at large.
Elekeokwuri, who represents Ika North-East in the House, disclosed that the sum of N51.6 billion accrued to the 25 LGAs as receipt in the 2017 financial year, and N65.9 billion in 2018.
On the expenditure, the lawmaker said a total of N54.6 billion was expended in 2017 financial year and N56.6 in 2018.
According to him, the aggregate actual revenue performance of the local government councils was about 92 percent in 2017 and 142 percent in 2018 in comparison with the budgeted figures.
Elekeokwuri also gave the aggregate actual performance against budget figures as 96 percent in 2017 and 147 percent in the 2018 financial year.
He said the overall budget performance in both periods under review was poor as actual revenue could not cover salaries and wages of the councils.
The recommendations of the committee were adopted following a motion to that effect by the deputy majority leader, Oboro Preyor.
The speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori commended Anthony Elekeokwuri and members of his committee for painstakingly looking into the report of the auditor-general in the account of the 25 LGAs of the state for 2017 and 2018.
