Oba asks Lagos auditors to deepen transparency in public service

Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has urged auditors in the state to deepen transparency and accountability in public service.

“The demand for accountability, transparency and good governance as a global standard of governance cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.

The speaker stated this at the 14th Lagos annual auditors’ retreat with the theme, ‘Renewing trust in governance through performance audit’, held on Thursday in Lekki, Lagos.

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Obasa, represented by Kehinde Olaide Joseph, chairman of the House of Assembly committee on public account, charged the auditors to ensure effective and efficient performance auditing during and after the preparation of the audited accounts of MDAs.

He said the theme of the retreat was apt considering the demand from the public for transparency and accountability in governance and the efforts of the office of the state auditor-general in auditing the accounts of MDAs in Lagos State.

The speaker further noted that early and continuous feedback from the MDAs would enable the auditors to function better and add value to the state’s public service.

According to Obasa, the retreat would also help the auditors examine how effectively and efficiently the MDAs were complying with the statutory obligation of state laws.

Moshood Adewuyi, the auditor-general, said the aim of the retreat was to prepare auditors to function effectively in compliance with the administration’s T.H.E.M E.S+ agenda.

“The time has come to renew the hope and belief of the people in governance and also ensure value for money,” Adewale said.

According to him, auditors needed to carry out their responsibilities to renew the hope of the public in governance. “The era of wasting public funds has passed,” he said.

He added that performance audit was to test whether a government was making judicious use of available resources to effectively deliver its policy, goals and achieve its intended impact.

Oluwatoyin Adegbuyi-Onikoyi, chairman of the Audit Service Commission, said ensuring performance audits would deepen the jobs of auditors, especially their evaluation

She urged the auditors to see themselves as an essential part of the governance process.

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According to Adegbuyi-Onikoyi, auditors play a crucial role by providing independent, transparent, and objective assessments.

Femi Ogunlana, the auditor-general for local government in the state, in a goodwill message, said auditing was a professional service anchored on a number of pillars. According to him, auditors need a thorough understanding of the subject matter and must be a step ahead of their auditees.