The Anambra Pro-Democracy Movement (APDM) has requested the Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government, Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters to make available in the public domain the Oyi LGA financial transactions for the year 2019.

“This clarion call became necessary not to witch-hunt anybody, but to avail the good people of Oyi local government area a detailed information on how their commonwealth is being managed by the Transition committee chairman Engr. Nnamdi Nwadiogbu. The citizens demand to know how the accrued financial allocations to the council were deployed to use, and what purposes. We need to be provided records of all the capital projects it executed during the year under review as well as documents that enabled them to carry out their responsibility, if at all they are alive to their responsibilities,” APDM said in a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Convener, Comr Chuma-Odili Harris, Ph.D.

“The house committee on public accounts for local governments is hereby urged to publish the audited accounts of the Oyi local government area of the state for 2019 to public domain for the people of the council area to peruse. This, we strongly believe, will help to educate, inform and enlighten the good people of Oyi LGA on how the current administration is handling their common patrimony. It would also guide government authorities, in enhancing public financial accountability in Anambra State.

“The importance of sound and effective audit of the finance of local governments cannot be over stressed. Politics of local government budgeting; Financial manipulation in the local government system is at alarming rate since the advent of caretaker committee style of governance, and should be put under control. The grand corruption, financial crimes and fraudulent activities going on in the local government areas have regrettably retarded the growth and development of Anambra state. There is a law on the Monitoring of Revenue and Allocation to Local Government, the Act 2005. Governors, state accountant generals, chairmen of local governments and their treasurers can only ignore the law to their peril,” APDM further said in the statement.