Ohangwena will account for finances
The regional council has dared the Popular Democratic Movement to report their concerns to the Anti-Corruption Commission, if it feels public funds are being mismanaged.
The Ohangwena regional council says it will submit all its outstanding financial statements to the auditor-general's office by September.
Ohangwena chief regional officer (CRO) Fillipus Shilongo also dared the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) to report their concerns to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) if it feels public funds are being mismanaged.
This follows a statement by PDM Ohangwena coordinator Hidipo Hamata in which he accused the regional council of mismanagement and not producing financial records.
He also called for central government to probe the council.
“The PDM has noted the fact that the Ohangwena regional council does not produce financial reports for the auditor-general is an indication of high corruption activities within the council. This also reflects that the council has used up the public funds for their own benefit,” Hamata said.
“As the PDM, we say this is unacceptable.
We thus call on the government to launch investigations, questioning their inability to produce the financial reports.
This is despite their frivolous fabrications of challenges faced with the sitting accounting system, and the extended backlog, as their reasons for not producing financial reports.”
Hamata also said governor Usko Nghaamwa's Recent State of the Region (SORA) speech report is “meaningless and a mockery to the people of the region, if he still cannot explain to the nation what happened to the N$68.2 million for the 2012/13 financial year, which still remains unaccounted for”.
Shilongo said they are guided by sections 38 and 39 of the Regional Council Act of 1992, as amended, which requires them to produce and submit financial statements for the financial years ended to the auditor-general for auditing.
In March, when Shilongo assumed his duties as the CRO of the region, he told Namibian Sun his first priority was to address the issue of unaudited financial books.
“Ohangwena has a backlog of unaudited annual financial statements for the past four years. Therefore, it will be my first priority to make sure that all these financial statements are submitted to the auditor-general before the end of this year.” Shilongo said at the time. He, however, said that council did not fully comply with section 40 of the Act, but the issue has been addressed and all outstanding financial statements will be submitted by September this year. “All outstanding financial statements will be submitted by September 2018, as agreed upon with the office of the auditor-general,” Shilongo said in a statement.
“It is important to inform the PDM and all concerned that the Ohangwena regional council has records as proof of financial statements produced and submitted accordingly.”
Shilongo, however, did not indicate which financial statements he is referring to, as the regional council, which had been without a CRO for four years, had not submitted financial statements to the AG during that period.
With regards to the N$68.2 million, Shilongo explained there were technical errors.
“With regards to the N$68.2 million reported as unaccounted for, we hereby explaining that this was a combined figure and wrongly misstated and emanated from retained earnings, general ledger financial statements and depreciation of assets in the 2011/2012 financial year and this has been addressed through performing regular reconciliation and balancing figures between financial statements and the general ledger,” Shilongo said.
“Equally important, the PDM and anyone concerned please note that the accounting officers in the OMAs (offices, ministries and agencies), including regional councils, are mandated to account for state funds.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
Ohangwena chief regional officer (CRO) Fillipus Shilongo also dared the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) to report their concerns to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) if it feels public funds are being mismanaged.
This follows a statement by PDM Ohangwena coordinator Hidipo Hamata in which he accused the regional council of mismanagement and not producing financial records.
He also called for central government to probe the council.
“The PDM has noted the fact that the Ohangwena regional council does not produce financial reports for the auditor-general is an indication of high corruption activities within the council. This also reflects that the council has used up the public funds for their own benefit,” Hamata said.
“As the PDM, we say this is unacceptable.
We thus call on the government to launch investigations, questioning their inability to produce the financial reports.
This is despite their frivolous fabrications of challenges faced with the sitting accounting system, and the extended backlog, as their reasons for not producing financial reports.”
Hamata also said governor Usko Nghaamwa's Recent State of the Region (SORA) speech report is “meaningless and a mockery to the people of the region, if he still cannot explain to the nation what happened to the N$68.2 million for the 2012/13 financial year, which still remains unaccounted for”.
Shilongo said they are guided by sections 38 and 39 of the Regional Council Act of 1992, as amended, which requires them to produce and submit financial statements for the financial years ended to the auditor-general for auditing.
In March, when Shilongo assumed his duties as the CRO of the region, he told Namibian Sun his first priority was to address the issue of unaudited financial books.
“Ohangwena has a backlog of unaudited annual financial statements for the past four years. Therefore, it will be my first priority to make sure that all these financial statements are submitted to the auditor-general before the end of this year.” Shilongo said at the time. He, however, said that council did not fully comply with section 40 of the Act, but the issue has been addressed and all outstanding financial statements will be submitted by September this year. “All outstanding financial statements will be submitted by September 2018, as agreed upon with the office of the auditor-general,” Shilongo said in a statement.
“It is important to inform the PDM and all concerned that the Ohangwena regional council has records as proof of financial statements produced and submitted accordingly.”
Shilongo, however, did not indicate which financial statements he is referring to, as the regional council, which had been without a CRO for four years, had not submitted financial statements to the AG during that period.
With regards to the N$68.2 million, Shilongo explained there were technical errors.
“With regards to the N$68.2 million reported as unaccounted for, we hereby explaining that this was a combined figure and wrongly misstated and emanated from retained earnings, general ledger financial statements and depreciation of assets in the 2011/2012 financial year and this has been addressed through performing regular reconciliation and balancing figures between financial statements and the general ledger,” Shilongo said.
“Equally important, the PDM and anyone concerned please note that the accounting officers in the OMAs (offices, ministries and agencies), including regional councils, are mandated to account for state funds.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
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