Abia warns LG mayors against diverting public funds

The Abia State Government has cautioned mayors of the 17 local government areas and senior officials against diverting and mismanaging public resources. This warning was issued by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, during the opening of an anti-corruption awareness program in Umuahia.

Nwachukwu emphasized the importance of financial discipline, transparency, and accountability in the management of public funds. He stressed that the success of government programmes hinges on the achievements achieved with the allocated funds, rather than the amount of money released. Nwachukwu also highlighted that projects existing only on paper are not considered development, and expenditures without proper accountability constitute poor governance.

He further cautioned that approvals disregarding established procedures cannot be justified, even if the intentions are good. Nwachukwu called on the executive mayors and senior officials to ensure proper record-keeping, transparent procurement processes, effective supervision, and timely financial reporting. He assured the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of the ministry's readiness to work with the commission in promoting integrity and institutional accountability.

The ICPC representative, Chinwe Egbeocha, commended the state's readiness to combat corruption and urged participants to take the awareness program seriously. She reminded them that it would no longer be business as usual and advised them to pay attention and ask questions about corruption.