By Tunde Olamilekan
The Auditor-General for Osun State, Kolapo Idris, has commended the transparent way in which Governor Ademola Adeleke is handling the finances of the state.
Idris stated this on Thursday, while presenting the report of the financial statements and accounts of Osun State Government for the year 2024.
He said the governor has demonstrated transparency and accountability in the management of public finance.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke has demonstrated that he is a transparent man when it comes to the finances of the state. He is very prudent and he makes sure every penny spent is used for meaningful things and well accounted for”, Idris stated.
Sounding a note of warning to accounting officers and Permanent Secretaries in the state against ignoring audit queries whenever such arises, the Auditor-General harped on the importance of prompt response to audit queries.
Speaking further, at the event attended by the members of Civil Society Organisations, leaders of market based associations across the state, members of accounting professional bodies, representatives of People Living with Disabilities, and the media, Idris assured that the state would continue to uphold strict compliance with the laws regulating government business, further said henceforth, disregard for audit query would not be tolerated.
Idris said, “I want to talk to my colleagues, the accounting officers about your response to audit queries. It is a serious thing. Your response to query does not mean that you have satisfied issues raised in the query.
“At the same time, majority will choose not to even reply queries. Your files are coming to the Auditor General’s Office. Respond to audit queries. I am saying this so that your file does not stay in our office for a long time. Help my office.”
The Auditor-General while presenting the State’s financial statements for the year 2024, added, “I have audited the accounts of the Government of Osun State as at 31st December, 2024 as set out in Consolidated Statement of Financial Performance, Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow (direct and indirect), Consolidated Statement of Changes in net asset/equity, Consolidated Statement of Comparism of Budget and Actual and Notes to the accounts in accordance with Section 125 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 17 (a-i) of Osun State Audit Law 2019 (as amended).”
In his remarks, the State’s Head of Service, Mr. Samuel Aina, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Public Office, Mr Najeem Akintola, urged accounting officers in the state MDAs to ensure adherence to standard practice by responding promptly to audit queries.
Osun State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Abimbola Fasasi, in his goodwill message, called on the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, to facilitate the release of the seized monthly allocation due to the local government areas in the state.
Fasasi, who said non-release of the funds was beginning to have negative impacts on the lives of rural dwellers in the state, added that there was no basis for the funds to have been seized.
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