Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, has disclosed plans to conduct an updated audit report for 2022 on the activities of 18 local governments of the state.
He said the move is to see if things have improved or deteriorated further at the councils.
The governor disclosed that an earlier audit report of councils showed the inability of local councils to sustain themselves financially because about three or four local governments couldn’t cover their salary bills on an ongoing basis.
Obaseki said, “As governor, I have not touched local governments’ money and revenues but rather take from our reserve to help local government.
“It’s good for local governments to be autonomous but it must be self-sufficient and it should be run properly,” he stated.
The governor stated this when he inaugurated Liaison Officers for the 18LGs in the state, at the Government House in Benin City.
He said: “As a state, we pay salaries on the 26th of every month. So, why can’t the local governments do the same? We get revenue from Abuja like they do but they can’t pay salaries as we do.
“These new appointees’ tenure should not last more than 120 days, because by then, we should have conducted elections”, the governor added.
