The Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated a seven-man committee to investigate the accounts and finances of the state’s 33 local governments (LGs) and 35 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) under his predecessor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
The committee, which will be chaired by retired Justice S. L. Popoola, was given six weeks to submit its report.
Its mandate is to look into the council accounts from January 2018 to May 2019.
Also inaugurated alongside the committee at the Executive Chambers of the Governor’s Office On Tuesday were two separate visitation panels to Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa and another visitation panel to The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki.
Present at the event were the Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan; the Chief of Staff to the governor, Bisi Ilaka; the Head of Service, Mrs. Amidat Agboola; Chairman, State Advisory Council Senator Hosea Agboola; Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matter Mr. Babatunde Oduyoye and the PDP state Chairman, Kunmi Mustapha, among other dignitaries.
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Speaking at the inauguration, Gov. Makinde stressed that the committee was not set up to go after the past administration, but a way of setting the stage for his government to take off and deliver dividends of democracy to Oyo State residents.
“The committee is constituted to look into the accounts of the LGs and LCDAs from January 2018 to May 2019. This is highly needed at this time when there is paucity of funds and also the need to re-strategise and device means to fund activities of the government.
“Let me reassure you that this government is not in any way going after the past administration, we are only setting the stage for our government to take off and deliver dividends of democracy to the entire citizenry.
“In fact, I must say that the committee we are inaugurating today is pursuant to the Public Property and Funds Investigation and Recovery Panel law Cap 138 Vol 4 of the Oyo State Law, 2000 Section 3 of the law states thus: ‘Whenever it shall appear to the government of the state that any person or body of persons in the custody of any property belonging to the government or any company in which the state government has any interest, however, arising or is accountable to the government for any contract, entered into or purported to have entered into between him and the government or monies in which he may have collected on behalf or for the purpose of the government, the governor may set up a panel to investigate or ascertain the identity and the extent of such property or funds and make an order for recovery of such property or fund’,” the governor stated.
The Governor further explained that the seven-man committee is expected to investigate any dealings with the funds of the LGs and LCDAs and other matters as they affect the local government and retrieve all monies traceable to any individual and impound any equipment traceable to any individual.
