…. As Government Trains Finance, Account Directors on Cash Management
The Lagos State Accountant-General/Permanent Secretary, State Treasury Office (STO), Dr. Abiodun Muritala has appealed to all Finance and Account Officers of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to acquaint themselves with the content of the reviewed Treasury Circular for better understanding of Government operations and guidelines as it relates to the management of Government finance.
Dr. Muritala made the plea at a training programme organised by the State Government for Directors/Heads of Finance and Account Departments and the unveiling of the reviewed/updated Treasury Circular booklet by the Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Boladele Dapo-Thomas at the STO Resource Centre, Alausa.
He stated that Treasury Circulars are issued periodically by the State Treasury Office to guide, educate and inform Finance and Account Officers as well as the generality of the Public on the approved processes and procedures to be followed in carrying out Government financial business. This, according to him, will make it easy for all MDAs of Government not to comply with laid down accounting procedures and regulations guiding government revenues and expenditures.
He said: “This document features in a concise form, the compilation of Treasury Circulars from March 2007 to November 2021. It is intended to serve as a repository of broad financial guidelines, instructions and more importantly, a handy reference for Accounting Officers, Heads of Finance and Accounts Directorates and members of staff”.
“I, therefore, recommend this document for use in the entire Lagos State Public Service for guidance in the day-to-day activities of Public Servants and for the general knowledge of other interested stakeholders outside the Public Service”, he added.
He intimated that the State Treasury Office has the sole statutory responsibility, amongst others, to account for receipts and payment of Government funds, collate and prepare Statutory Financial Statements and also conduct routine inspections of the books of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure compliance with extant rules and regulation.
Speaking on the periodic capacity enhancement programmes usually organised by the Office for Finance and Account Officers, the Accountant-General informed that apart from providing cash backing for the operations and implementation of State Government projects, the State Treasury Office is also empowered to facilitate continuous capacity-building through training of Accountants thereby enhancing their competence level and quality service delivery.
He added that the training, which is the first session for the year 2023, focuses on ‘Cash Management and Contemporary Issues’, ‘Preparing for Shocks in an Emerging Economy’ and ‘Imbibing the culture of a Lifelong Learner’.
Dr. Abiodun Muritala stated that the topics for discussion were carefully picked in order to educate Accountants on the need for periodic learning while also inculcating the culture of proactiveness in Officers in keeping them abreast of happenings around, especially the contemporary cashless policy and other changes within the financial sector.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mrs. Kikelomo Bolarinwa, who facilitated a session on “Being a Lifelong Learner”, told participants that as the world is tilting towards the era of artificial intelligence, periodic learning has become non-negotiable.
“With the situation of things and the dynamic nature of knowledge acquisition itself, only those who can acquire additional knowledge, periodically, can remain relevant to the demand of tomorrow’s workplace”, she reiterated.
Another facilitator and a representative of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Tope Adeniyi, made a presentation on “Preparing for Shocks in an Emerging Economy”, chronicled different disasters that had confronted Lagos State over the years, maintaining the fact that Lagos remained resilient amidst all the challenges, shows a high level of preparedness and proactive thinking on the part of Government.
He added that in order for the State Government to continue to respond swiftly to emergency situations, Government must embrace effective collaboration with the private sector.
