Auditor-General tasks auditors on ethics

The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) has charged members of staff to discharge their duties with diligence and commitment.

The Auditor-General for the Federation, Mr Anthony Ayine gave the charge in a statement issued by his Head of Media and Public Relations, Mrs Olawunmi Ogunmosunle in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ayine also urged them to abide by ethics of the profession as it would ensure improved service delivery.

The auditor-general spoke at the inauguration of the OAuGF Regularity Audit Guide, Code of Conduct and Ethics, Quality Control and Assurance Manual and the OAuGF E–Learning Portal in Abuja.

Our correspondent reports that the Strategic Development Plan was inaugurated on Sept. 21, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

At the inauguration, the President urged the National Assembly to amend relevant legislation that would allow the Auditor-General of the Federal to adequately carry out his mandate.

Our correspondent reports that the Strategic Development Plan was inaugurated on Sept. 21, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

At the inauguration, the President urged the National Assembly to amend relevant legislation that would allow the Auditor-General of the Federal to adequately carry out his mandate.

Ayine He said the inauguration was in continuation of the implementation of the road map toward re-positioning and reform of the Office to fulfill its constitutional mandate.

He identified skills deficit as a major challenge to the delivery of high quality audits.

“Auditors must always be a step ahead of accountants because you cannot audit what you don’t know.”

According to Ayine, the Office with the support of DFID has prepared materials that will help in training members of staff on the use of the new audit methods.

He advised that auditors that do not take the opportunity to improve their skills and re-dedicate to honest work would find themselves obsolete within a short period.

Ayine, however, expressed optimism that the inauguration was one major step toward improving the skills base of the Office.

He also expressed the hope that the training would equip auditors with the right skills to do a thorough job in line with international best practices.

“Auditors must have integrity and objectivity to conclude their job and report their findings in full.

“They must be knowledgeable, skillful, diligent, of high integrity and impactful through their quality deliverables,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Ekpo Nta, former Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission, (ICPC) in his address challenged the OAuGF to take up its constitutional role and lead the anti – corruption war in the country.

Nta observed that OAuGF had failed to make serious impact because of its inability to improve on the system over the years.

According to him, if the Office performs its duties properly as assigned to it by the constitution, there would be no need for the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Some of the actions we take have serious consequences for us as individuals, the family and the country in the long run.’’

Nta therefore charged auditors to be ready to re-brand and re-orientate their minds in line with the ethics of the profession.

“Auditors ought to know that their assignment is a constitutional role that goes beyond the Auditor-General and the President.

“They should be reminded of their role as key drivers of growth of the economy.

“Therefore, as auditors, we must come to the realisation that Audit-Report is not meant to destroy, but to build.

“We must also carry out our roles as auditors in line with the ethics of the civil service to stem the level of decay that the nation is experiencing today,” Nta said.