5 Local Government councils fail to defend their 2017 budget estimates as AKHA concludes exercise

By Mfonobong Ukpong.

Out of the 31 local government councils in Akwa Ibom State, twenty six of the Councils have defended their 2017 budgetary estimate before the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, while six of them including, Etim Ekpo, INI, Nsit- Ibom, Okobo and Udung-Uko local government councils failed to show up during the exercise.

The three days budget defence exercise which commenced on Wednesday and rounded off yesterday, Friday.

Addressing Assembly correspondents in his office, Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation and Finance, Hon. Usoro Akpanusoh, said his committee will submit its report to the House of Assembly in session. He said the committee was worried at the inability of some local government councils to know how much comes into the councils purse, and other observed lapses during the budget presentation by the representatives of the respective local government councils.

"Almost all the local government councils say they don't have access to the spreadsheet of the local government joint account. We have asked them to bring their local government spreadsheet. Some local government Chairmen have resigned, some have outside engagement; Some Council Chairmen have abandoned their first assignment of getting to know how they would get to spend for the year".