The National | Phillip Ukuni | May 1st, 2025

One of the dailies published an article few weeks ago under the subheading 50 plus MPs yet to acquit.

This message was coming from the combine efforts of two very important government agencies legally tasked with constitutional duties and functions.

These two agencies are the Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) and the Ombudsman Commission.

These agencies efforts to ensure all public funds are acquitted annually has to be stringently enforced.

At the same time, the responsible sub-national administrations, represented by leaders covered under the leadership code of the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of leaders, should make it their sworn responsibility as leaders to provide the annual acquittals as required by law.

This is only means of knowing whether public funds dished out annually to provinces and districts have been well spent.

Every sub national agencies/administrations who are recipients of public funds under various allocations should meet the acquittals requirements set by DIRD and submit a copy to the Ombudsman Commission to verify and ensure they have complied with certain percentage of allocations.

There are exceptional situations where funds allocated does not reach these agencies on time or encountered shortfalls, which should not be an excuse to delay reporting or misreporting.

Enforcing of these acquittals by the two agencies is paramount effort in ensuring accountability and proper disbursements of public funds in service delivery.