Audit Report Exposes N45million Payments Without Receipts In Nigeria’s Local Governments
According to the audit documents, in 2023, at least N45.2million irregular payments were flagged across local governments.
A review of the Kwara State audit report for local governments has shown that financial discrepancies running into several millions were discovered from runnings of the state.
According to the audit documents, in 2023, at least N45.2million irregular payments were flagged across local governments.
For instance in As local government, irregular payments voucher totalling N3.3 million were flagged, in Baruten local government unreceipted payment voucher totalling N2.6 million were also flagged,in Edu local government unreceipted/unapproved vouchers stood at N2 million, unreceipted payment for Ekiti local government stood at N5.1 million, that of Ifelodun local government was recorded at N2.2 million, Ilorin East local government recorded N4.1 million irregular payment vouchers, Ilorin West unreceipted/irregular payment vouchers stood at N5.5 million.
Others include N1 million for Irepodun local government, N2.1 million for Kaiama local government un-receipted payment, N1.5 million for irregular payments vouchers in Isinglass local government.
Moro local government recorded N2.5 million irregular payment vouchers, Offa local government recorded N3.3 million unreceipted payment voucher, N3.1 million was recorded for Oke-Ero local government unapproved payment voucher, Oyun local government recorded N2.3 million unreceipted payment while Patigi local government recorded N2.4 million un-receipted payment.
In total N45.2 million were flagged by the audit report.
Unreceipted payments are those made without receipts as evidence of payment while unapproved payments are those made without authorization.
Local government funds have been said not to fulfill their core mandates of ensuring development at the grassroots.
Already, Kwara State residents have been reported as lamenting poor administration across local governments in the state, a situation that has fuelled concerns on accountability and transparency in the management of local government funds in Nigeria.
