The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday directed the state Commissioner for Finance to stop further payments in respect of Joint Account Allocation Committee, except the payment of salaries of members of staff.
The decision was taken at a plenary session, following a motion moved by the Leader of the House, Ajibayo Adeyeye, over non-compliance with the provisions of the Lagos State Joint Account Allocation Committee Law, 2003.
According to Adeyeye, Section 162 (8) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, states that the amount to the credit of local government councils of a state shall be distributed among local government councils of the state in terms, in such manner as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of the state.
He said, “Section 4(b) of the Lagos State Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) Law, 2003, states that the Committee shall consider the resolutions of the House of Assembly in respect of the allocation formula for the account.”
He added that Section 9 of the same law stipulates that “not later than 30th June of a subsequent year, the Accountant-General shall submit to the House of Assembly of the state a report in respect of payments made to each Local Government Council in the state for the preceding year ending 31st December.”
Adeyeye observed that the modalities for the distribution of funds to local government councils were not streamlined with the constitutional provisions and extant laws of the state.
The House in its resolution, however, resolved to call on the Accountant-General of the state to furnish it with the reports in respect of payments made to each local government in the state from year 2009 till date, in compliance with Section 9 of JAAC Law 2003.
The Speaker of the House, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, informed members of a petition he received from a group alleging several illegalities by local government chairmen in the state.
Ikuforiji, however, set up an eight-man ad hoc committee to work on the motion and the petition.
The committee has one week to submit its report.
Members of the committee include the Chief Whip of the House, Rasaq Balogun; Deputy Whip, Rotimi Abiru; Saka Fafunmi; Moshood Oshun; Mudashiru Obasa; Adebimpe Akinsola; Ramota Akinola-Hassan; and Adeyeye as its chairman.
