Mbah Inaugurates Enugu JAAC for Funds Utilisation

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah yesterday inaugurated the state’s Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) as part of efforts to ensure that funds meant for grassroots development are utilised.

The 16-member Committee has Comrade Anthony Udeh as Chairman, Dr. Peter Aneke as Secretary, while other members include the Accountant General of the State, Mr. Tony Okenwa, and the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Enugu State chapter, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh.

Inaugurating the Committee  in Enugu, Mbah described the local government as the layer of government closest to the people, saying  those charged with the management, monitoring, and distribution of local government funds must be men and women of integrity to ensure that the people are sufficiently and positively impacted.

“Local government account for us, is a very important account and we believe we must ensure that the people who will manage and ensure the allocation, monitoring, and distribution of this account are credible people because the local government is that arm of our government that is closest to the people,”he said.

He added:  “Ours is to make sure that we lift our people out of the pit of poverty and we do not believe that there is a better-positioned arm to do that than the local government. Therefore, local government funds must not only work for the wellbeing of our people, but must be seen to be doing so.”

On his part, Chairman of the committee, Udeh, pledged the readiness of the Committee to discharge its functions in tandem with the vision and principles of transparency and accountability espoused by the administration.

“We are also not unmindful of the fact that we are facing very serious financial challenges across the globe, Nigeria, states, and local governments. But inasmuch as the task before us is challenging, we are equal to it. We will align with your huge vision and principles of transparency and accountability,” Udeh assured.