The Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly has called on Heads of Local Government Service and Directors of Finance in the 31 Local Government Councils to adopt standard procedures in dealing with unretired advances, deposits and bad debts.

The Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts and member representing Nsit Ibom state constituency, Hon. ERIC AKPAN, stated this on the second day of the ongoing review of Local Government Councils’ responses to queries from the 2023 audited accounts.

The committee took the decision when it noticed that many local government councils had an increase rather than a decrease in their unretired advances and deposits.

The committee however commended Local Government Councils that had made efforts at implementing recommendations of the committee from the previous year’s sitting.

The committee observed weak book keeping strategies by some local government councils and urged the Heads of Local Government Service and Directors of Finance to collaborate professionally in upholding requisite standard.

Dominant issues in the day 2 were unretired advances and deposits, weak book keeping methods, doubtful expenditure, payments without FGPC approvals and IPSAS compliance by Local Government Councils.

The Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and chairman of Uyo, Dr UWEMEDIMO UDOH, observed the second day of the committee, promised on behalf of the 31 Local Government Councils that directives and observations of the committee aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the finances of Local Governments Councils will be strictly adhered to

Local Government Councils that appeared before the committee on the second day of the exercise included lbeno, Ukanafun, Udung Uko, UrueOffongUruko, Mbo, Uyo, Eket, Etim Ekpo, Eastern Obolo, Ika and ObotAkara.