AKHA RESUMES PLENARY FOR 2022

 ... passed Akwa Ibom State Administration of Criminal Justice Bill 2020 into Law.

... adopts Report of the Public Account Committee on the Audited Account of the 31 Local Government Council

Williams Akpabio - Information Unit (AKHA), Uyo.

Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in its plenary Tuesday passed Akwa Ibom State Administration of Criminal Justice Bill 2020 into Law. 

This follows the adoption of Report of the committee on Judiciary, Justice, Human Right and Public Petition  as presented by its Chairman Hon. Barr. Victor Ekwere, member representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency at the floor of the House.

According to the report, the law will  introduce novel and innovative approaches to criminal justice administration such as plea bargain, licensed bonds person, process service agents, suspended sentence, non-custodial orders, suspended Community service etc.

It will also ensure that the criminal justice administration in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria is, as much as practicable, in harmony with what is obtainable in other parts of Nigeria.

The report further explain that the law will guarantee an efficient management of criminal justice institutions, ensure speedy dispensation of justice, protect the society from crime, and protect the right and interest of the suspect, the defendant and victim or complaint as well as providing basic sentencing guidelines that will aid the court in imposing sentences thereby drastically reducing discrepancies in punishment meted out by courts for similar offences.

And, generally improve the extant law, the Criminal Procedure Law, which has been in force, largely unchanged, for over seventy years.

It could be recalled that this private member Bill was lead sponsored by Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Aniefiok Dennis, member representing Etinan State Constituency, and was committed to committee on Judiciary, Justice, Human Right and Public Petition for scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the Speaker Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, has directed the Clerk of the House Mrs. Mandu Umoren to communicate the house resolve to His Excellency Governor Udom Emmanuel for accent.

Furthermore, the 7th Assembly also adopted and ratified the audited Account of the 31 Local Government Council of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria for the years ended 31st December 2017 & 2018.

This follows the report as presented by the Chairman, Public Account committee Hon. (Dr.) Charity Ido, member representing Ukanafun State Constituency.

According to the Report, the assembly observed that the council officials and former Political Office Holders refused to respond to invitation of the Public Account Committee, refused to retire Advances granted them for official assignment, violates Financial memoranda (FM) and the state government guidelines issued by the Ministry of Local Government to control the operations of Council in Akwa Ibom State and failure of some Councils officials to reply to audit queries as when due.

It further observed Non-compliance of Councils to the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS); missing of payment vouchers in some Local Government Councils during Audit and refusal of Council officials to release official documents for Audit  Inspection, most items purchased by officials of Councils were not taken on store ledger charge and Financial and General purpose Committee (FGPC) Extracts were not attached to most Vouchers.

Others include, Failure of some Director of Finance and officials of the Treasury Department to keep proper Books of Accounts and prepare regular Bank Reconciliation Statements; Director of Finance and Internal Auditors were negligent in the signing and certification of payment voucher before payment; Failure to obtain approval from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as required by the guidelines in relevant cases.

In the report, the assembly recommended that the Auditor General for Local Government, State Accountant General, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Local Government Service Commission should draw up a workable modalities to ensure that all outstanding arrears of Advances in the Council Books of Account are either retired, refunded or written-off as the case may be in all the councils.

The assembly also resolved that the Local Government service Commission should henceforth take appropriate disciplinary actions against officials who refused to release documents to Auditors, sanctioned in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Civil Service rules Officers who refused to respond to audit queries,  as well as Officers linked with cases of missing payment vouchers appropriately.

And, that Local Government Service Commission should set up appropriate monitoring organ to ensure Internal Control weakness in the councils are addressed; put on ground, adequate machineries for full implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) in all councils and ensure adequate training and retraining of staff of the councils are carried out to enhance efficiency and productivity.

Recalled that the audited Account of the 31 Local Government Council of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria for the years ended 31st December 2017 & 2018 were committed to Public Account Committee for consideration as  required by Section 125 Sub-section 2 and 5 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

However, the report highlighted all unresolved queries of the statutory Financial Statement and the Domestic Report of the Auditor General pending in various councils; meanwhile, the speaker Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, has directed the Clerk of the House Mrs. Mandu Umoren to communicate the house decision to all relevant authorities.