The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, has described the ongoing Accounts of Stewardship exercise by government establishments as a crucial mechanism for promoting transparency, public accountability and improved service delivery in the state.
Aribasoye stated this on Tuesday while declaring the five-week-long exercise open during plenary at the Assembly complex, stressing that the initiative would enable lawmakers to review the performance of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), assess the utilisation of public resources and ensure that the state’s development agenda remains on course.
The Speaker said the exercise was not intended to witch-hunt government officials but to provide an avenue for constructive engagement, accountability and improved governance.
«“This is not an inquisition. It is an engagement for transparency, accountability, and improved service delivery. It is an opportunity to review, to align, and to recommit to the Ekiti development agenda,” he said.»
He explained that the exercise was part of the constitutional responsibility of the legislature, noting that it was being conducted in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and the oversight powers vested in the House.
According to him, public officials owe the people a clear account of how resources entrusted to government have been deployed for the welfare of citizens and the development of the state.
“Stewardship is a sacred trust. As public officers, we owe the people of Ekiti State a full account of how the resources entrusted to us have been deployed for their welfare and for the development of our State,” Aribasoye said.
He charged government establishments appearing before the House to ensure that their submissions were accurate, factual and transparent, while urging lawmakers to approach the exercise with diligence, decorum, patriotism and a strong sense of responsibility.
The Assembly had, following its resumption from recess on Monday, announced the five-week exercise to enable Ministries, Departments, Agencies, tertiary institutions and local government councils to present reports on their activities, achievements, expenditure and plans for improvement.
The exercise commenced on Tuesday with presentations from Ekiti East Local Government, the Ministry of Transportation and the Office of the State Auditor-General for Local Government.
The Chairman of Ekiti East Local Government, Mr Ojo Olusegun, highlighted the council’s achievements during the period under review, particularly in agriculture and youth development, assuring that the council would build on the progress recorded.
Also presenting the Ministry of Transportation’s stewardship account, the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kehinde Ajobiewe, outlined the ministry’s activities and achievements, with particular emphasis on the operations of the Ekiti State Cargo Airport.
Ajobiewe commended the Assembly’s Committee on Works for its collaboration with the ministry and appreciated the lawmakers for their support for both the Ministry and the executive arm of government.
He said the cooperation had contributed to the realisation of some of the major achievements recorded by the current administration.
The Office of the State Auditor-General for Local Government also appeared before the lawmakers and presented its stewardship account, outlining how the office had managed its finances over the past one and a half years.
To ensure a comprehensive review of the submissions, Aribasoye directed that discrepancies identified in the Accounts of Stewardship presented by the various MDAs be resolved during the Executive Session of the House.
