By Amadou M Jadama
Corruption is the ‘worst enemy’ of most African governments, according to Nessie Golakai Gould, the resident rep of the United Nations Development Program.
“Any effort to fight it [corruption] is in the right direction,” she stated.
The resident rep was speaking Tuesday at the opening of a two-day sensitisation workshop on accountability and transparency held in Banjul.
Funded by the UNDP, it was designed to support and and help strengthen capacities of national institutions responsible for economic management and evidence-based policy, planning and budgeting.
“As the first defenders and fighters against corruption, your role as internal auditors is critical and of great importance in the national crusade against financial malpractices,” she told delegates at the Laico Atlantic Hotel.
The seminar was organised by the directorate of Internal Audit – Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.
And Ms Golokai said it was an important part of the department’s effort in rolling out internal audit functions in all public institutions.
“… Such institutions like the National Audit Office, parliament, ombudsman’s office and the recent pronouncement of the government to establish anti-corruption commission will greatly complement current efforts geared towards empowering and capacitating ministries, departments and agencies on anti-corruptions and promotion of accountability and transparency in all public resource management matters.”
“This workshop clearly demonstrates among others, the high priority that the new Barrow government attaches to accountability and transparency in the management of public resources.”
She said the UNDP was proud to be associated with this workshop as it forms part of “our overall project support to strengthening economic management, evidence-based planning and budgeting.”
Amie Kolleh Jeng, director of public finance management, at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, said “Internal auditing is a useful management and oversight tool that executives and vote controllers in every public entity or ministries, departments and agencies, should rely on mainly for assurance and accountable use of public funds, resources, the performance of internal controls, and for advice or how to improve the existing internal control environment.”
