By: Oluwatobi Aroyehun
The Auditor-General for Kwara State, Alhaji Alayande Fatai-Olajide, has stressed the importance of producing impactful audit reports capable of improving public service delivery, strengthening internal controls and preventing waste and revenue leakages in the management of public resources.
Alhaji Olajide made the submission during a capacity-building workshop for auditors in the state, noting that the essence of auditing had moved beyond merely producing reports to ensuring that audit findings translate into tangible improvements in governance and service delivery.
He said the workshop was deliberately designed to keep auditors abreast of the expectations and requirements of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAI) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
According to him, good governance requires continuous improvement, making regular professional development indispensable to the effective discharge of auditing responsibilities.
He explained that an impactful audit report could help government reduce waste, block revenue leakages, strengthen internal controls and ensure that public resources were utilised effectively.
The Auditor-General said the training would equip participants with modern techniques in audit planning, fieldwork, documentation, evidence gathering and reporting, adding that the quality of an audit report was largely determined by the strength of every stage of the audit process.
“Planning is extremely important in every audit, if your audit plan is weak, you cannot expect to produce an impactful audit report,” he said.
Alhaji Olajide further noted that citizens, legislators, civil society organisations and other stakeholders were increasingly interested in the impact of government expenditure rather than merely knowing how much money had been spent.
He said the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, commonly referred to as the three Es, must remain central to public expenditure, stressing that citizens deserved value for every naira spent by government.
“As auditors, we are the eyes and ears of the public,” he said, adding that quality audit work could contribute to improved outcomes in critical sectors such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.
The Auditor-General also commended the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, for supporting the institutionalisation of regular training and capacity development programmes for auditors in the state. He said the initiative would strengthen the capacity of audit personnel and enable them to contribute more effectively to accountability and good governance in Kwara State.
