The Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF), Anthony Mkpe Ayine, has charged auditors in the country, especially those at the public service at national and sub-national levels, to ensure that their work impacts positively on the country.
The AuGF, who pointed out that purpose of audit remained to add value to the system, gave the charge when he flagged open the 48th bi-annual conference of the body of Federal and State Auditors-General, at the Audit House in Abuja.
A statement issued by Oghenekevwe Ebireri on behalf of the Deputy Director (Information) at the Auditor General’s Office quoted the AuGF as stressing that any audit work that does not add value is useless.
Ayine told the participants that audit report that simply sets out findings but does not state clear and implementable recommendations had fallen short of the standard expected, adding that “our impact is also not intended to stop only at the point of submitting our reports.”
The AuGF who noted that Nigeria was still plagued by under-development, corruption, waste, inefficiency, lack of transparency and infrastructure, said that by implementing audit recommendations, government will block leakages and achieve better outcomes from the money it spends.
Ayine urged the State Auditors-General to reflect deeply on the theme of the conference ‘The Role of Supreme Audit Institutions in Value Creation’ and recommend ways of ensuring that their work is seen to add value to the system.
He said: “As Auditors-General, we must be able to demonstrate or create some value through our work. Today we are confronted with challenges that have accumulated over decades of neglect. We all need to push for better governance if we are to improve the living conditions of citizens of our country. There can never be good governance without transparency and accountability.”
The AuGF listed some of the recent achievements of his Office as including manpower development, the launch of its five-year strategic plan, the launch of the new audit methodologies and manuals, as well as the procurement and distribution of audit tools to members of staff to aid their work.
He disclosed further that the Office, in order to make its work more efficient, would soon commence some specialized audits such as the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the Government Integrated Financial Management and Information Systems (GIFMIS), and the Nigerian Immigration Service e-passport Systems.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the body of Federal and State Auditors-General, Abdu Usman Aliyu, said the theme of the conference was apt in view of the various challenges in governance processes and the need to be thoroughly acquainted with modern trends in auditing.
He stressed the benefits of value creation by auditors to include a responsive and accountable government,effective Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), strong systems and engaged citizens, and urged participants to be above board in their business and commercial relations.
Aliyu said: “Given the ongoing trend of globalization of the profession, the increasing sophistication of audit processes, evidence gathering, the rising demand for integrity, transparency in governance, there is the need for us to be amenable to changes in our domain of operation.”
