Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has given a 48-hour ultimatum to the 18 local government council chairmen in the state to submit their statements of accounts.
The governor’s directive, issued on Tuesday, requires the chairmen to submit their statements of accounts to the Assets Verification Committee through the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). The statement of accounts is to cover the period from September 4, 2023, to date.
Governor Okpebholo gave the directive when the council chairmen, led by the Edo State chairman of the Association of Local Governments Of Nigeria (ALGON), Newman Ugiagbe, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Benin City. The governor was represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Okoebholo, Fred Itua quoted the governor as saying that “I have listened to you keenly, the ALGON Chairman. The Governor is a leader of all of us. Election has come and gone and we are all one family. The Governor has asked me to assure you that we are one family.
“He has also asked me to tell you that we will work closely together. I guess you are aware that few weeks ago, the Assets Verification Committee was constituted.
“Mr. Governor is committed to transparency and accountability in this Government and that Committee would not have the resources to go across the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State.
“The Governor would want you to submit your statement of accounts from 4th of September 2023, to date, to the Assets Verification Committee within the next 48 hours (2 days), as that would help and enable the Committee do its job effectively and efficiently.
“The statement of accounts should be sent through the office of the Secretary to the State Government to Assets Verification Committee. The Governor thanks you for you time.”
Earlier, Ugiagbe had pledged the loyalty of the council chairmen to Governor Okpebholo.
He said, “We are here to congratulate the Governor and the Deputy on the mandate Edo people gave them and here to pledge our loyalty to your administration.
“Our doors are open to your instructions, policies, and programmes, as we are ready to bring your policies down to the grassroots to enable our people to benefit from the dividends of democracy as we will work to ensure your administration succeeds.”