A one day sensitization workshop on Public Finance Management Law, 2020 has ended in Awka, with a call to all Finance sectors in the State to ensure transparency, accountability and sound management of revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities of the State government and other public institutions.

The workshop organized  by the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with State and Local Governance Reform Project, aimed at eliminating waste and corruption in the use of public resources and ensuring regulated public financial management in the State.

Correspondent, Amaka Chibuzo Okoye reports that while  declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary, Anambra state Ministry of Finance, Mrs Ebele Okonkwo said the programme was for the key staff of public financial management institutions and  centered on the new public finance law 2020 to ensure transparency and accountability in all government businesses, as well as compliance to the legislation and regulations governing the funding and administration of government activities.

She applauded Governor Willie Obiano for  signing the bill into law, which made Anambra foremost State in the country to have the bill passed into law.

In her address, the Anambra State Coordinator of State and Local Governance Reform Project, Mrs Ify Ezedebego noted that with the sensitisation workshop, people will be aware of the law, which is an instrument that will help the State on how to source and apply their finances in an orderly manner, adding that one can have a hard copy  or access it through their website.

A resource person at the event, Barrister Fabian Nwaigbo, who dealt on Public Finance Management of Anambra State, highlighted the importance of the law to every onye Anambra, especially Account Staff, noting that if it is adhered to, the revenues and resources of the State will solve current and future challenges.

In their separate speeches, the State Chairman, Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, Mr Chukwuemeka Oriaku, who spoke through Mr Emmanuel Muodozie and  Mr Sylvester Ezeanolue, extolled Governor Obiano for all his efforts in repositioning all sectors of the State economy, noting that they have been using an outdated financial regulation, which is obsolete, maintaining that with the new law, the State has domesticated what will be used to manage financial flows, disbursement and revenue collections.

The workshop was attended by Permanent Secretaries, Accounting bodies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Anambra State Council.