The Anambra House Assembly Committee on Public Account on Friday directed the State Housing Development Corporation to tidy up its financial transactions for 2019 and appear before it again.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Somtochukwu Udeze, gave the directive when the Managing Director of the corporation, Mr Willie Okafor, appeared before to present the corporation’s financial transactions for 2019.
Udeze expressed dissatisfaction with the financial records of the corporation as presented by the managing director.
He said verification of the 2019 audited accounts of government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state was to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilisation of public funds.
“Public funds must be properly utilised and accounted for before the beginning of another financial year.
“For accountability and transparency sake, you should have updated and verified your records before appearing before the committee.
“We are giving you the opportunity to go and reconcile your financial transactions for 2019 and appear before the committee again,’’ he said.
In his presentation earlier, the managing director of the state housing corporation lamented the activities of land grabbers in the state and said it had hindered the delivery of housing estates to the residents.
Okafor however said the corporation had put measures in place to check the activities of land speculators and land grabbers in the state.
“Before I became the managing director, the task of providing housing estates had been quite daunting. There were no housing estates being developed in Anambra due to the menace of land grabbers.
“But we are trying to check them and we have started to pay compensation to some of them so they won’t have any reason to stand in the way of government in providing housing for the people.
“It has not been easy providing housing estates but we are hopeful that before the end of the tenure of this administration we will deliver three housing estates.
“We have finished with Ngozika Phase Two Estate in Awka; we have commenced work at the Green Valley Estate just by Awka/Isuaniocha border and we have entered the Liberation Estate at Enugu-Agidi,’’ he said.
The managing director said the Gov. Willie Obiano-led administration was determined to facilitate increased access to affordable housing in the state.
Okafor apologised to the committee that the corporation was not able to reconcile and audit its records due to COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown in the state. (NAN)
