By Biola Lawal
FLOWERBUDNEWS: A one-day Annual Audit Forum has been held by the Office of the Auditor-General to promote transparency and accountability by encouraging the public to scrutinize and ask questions on government expenditures.
A Flowerbudnews Correspondent who was at the event reports that the Forum was attended by several dignitaries, including the Chairman, House Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Bamidele Lawal, the Head of Service, Mr. Leye Aina and the State Auditor General for Local Governments, Alh. Ishaq Oyewole Awotunde.
Other dignitaries included the Permanent Secretary, Osun State Local Government Staff Pension Bureau, Alh. Akibu Ibrahim, representatives of many civil society Organisation, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Market women.
Speaking at the Forum, Auditor General, Kolapo Idris, said that the essence of the Forum was to make government expenditure records available to the citizens from all walks of life to promote good governance.
Idris said that his office would continue to ensure that citizens have free access to the public audited financial records to boost public confidence and trust in the government.
The Auditor-General explained that Osun State Audit Law empowered his office to scrutinize and ”express unbiased opinion on the financial activities of Osun State.”
Idris disclosed that by Law, the Auditor General must examine and ascertain that government accounts were properly kept; confirm and ensure that ” all public money have been fully accounted for,” and that;
”Rules and procedures applied are sufficient to ensure an effective check on the assessment, collection and proper allocation of revenue,”
The Auditor General also stressed that it was incumbent on his Office to ascertain that ”money have been expended for the purpose for which they were appropriated.”
Idris said that in auditing the state government accounts, his office also ensured that all ”essential records are maintained, and rules and procedure applied are sufficient to safeguard and control public property and funds.”
On the overall, the Auditor General gave the Osun State Government under Governor Ademola Adeleke a passmark, assuring that the audited government accounts for the year ended December 31st, 2023, ‘give a true and fair view of the state of affairs and financial activities of the government of Osun State for the fiscal year ended.’: (FLOWERBUDNEWS)
