April 15, 2021
By: Audrey .R. John
The Councils in the Eastern Region including Kono District, Koidu New Sembehun City, Kailahun District, Kenema City, and Kenema District impressed the PAC regarding the issues raised in the Auditor General’s Report of 2019; save for challenges with water management, proper filing of documents, assets marking and coding, weak internal audit and a refund of Le 23 Million by the Koidu New Sembehun City Council relating to payments of sitting fees and allowances to absentee councilors.
Addressing Auditors in the Hall of Bo City Council on Wednesday 14 April 2021, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of PAC, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas said they have been invited to answer to the conclusions of the Auditor General’s Report of 2019.
Explaining the audit process, he spoke on the annual allocations of funds to MDAs to undertake development programmes in the country. He said such funds are being audited and the Report tabled in Parliament by the PAC. He warned against volunteerism and lying under oath and any attempt to mislead the PAC would attract unlimited punishment based on Contempt of Parliament.
Speaking on the importance of public hearings and proper dissemination of information by the media and CSOs regarding the proceedings of PAC, Hon. SS Thomas spoke about human rights, no witch-hunting and any attempt to forge documents would result in criminal prosecution by either the Police or ACC; and the confirmation of receipts by NRA to determine authenticity.
He said as a matter of fact, Parliament would be debating conclusions of the PAC’s Report and not those of the Auditor General’s after the conduct of its public hearings on issues raised in the Auditor General’s Report of 2019.
For failure to do proper bank reconciliation by Kono District Council, the PAC has promised to levy fines in future for not doing the proper thing at the appropriate time, which they claimed has now been corrected.
Koidu New Sembehun City Council has been ordered to refund Le 23 Million as payments of sitting fees to absentee councilors for the period under review.
On the issue regarding the absence of Internal Auditors, the PAC has directed letters be written to the Local Government Service Commission in respect of same and copy the PAC.
For effective water management systems, the PAC has called for effective devolution of rural water sector through collaboration and coordination with the local councils. A challenge the PAC observed would be addressed by the MCC compact funds in some rural communities.
Following the impressive and outstanding performances by Councils in the Eastern Region in respect of the Auditor General’s Report of 2019, the PAC asked the Auditors the reason behind such huge success and they replied it was because they have improved and strengthened their systems.
A-Z Newspaper sought the impression of the chairman of PAC Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas about the three days district level public hearing. He said it’s has been extremely effective and one thing he noticed about the whole hearing is that there has been huge improvement in the accounting systems of local councils and he is extremely impressed.
In responding to the two issues that came up during the visit, he said the payment of sitting fees to Councilors who were not present in sittings and also in Petra System he described it as a total mess and they have decided as a committee to invite the Ministry of finance and Local Government Finance officers to suggest ways on how they can handle the Petra system.
Hon. SS Thomas suggested firmly that either they get rid of the Petra system entirely or make some amendment on it for the system to function properly.
He furthered that if the system is not working and it creating a whole lot of problems; their advised to all Councilors who have not been sitting and to those who are not entitled to sitting fees are advice to refund all monies receives from the Ministry of Finance. He expanded on this that there were so many accusations levied on the Finance of that the Councilors are not been paid directly.
Hon. Thomas said the Councils that continue to flout the necessary orders, PAC will ensure that fines imposed and paid to the rightful governmental channels.