Auditors charged to oppose institutional wrongdoings
Auditors have been charged to be courageous and stand up against institutionalised wrongdoing in both private and public sectors, notwithstanding the pushback from perpetrators of such deeds.
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The President of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Ghana, Joseph Dakora Zumasigee, said citizens must not be deterred by the debilitating culture that obfuscates unethical conduct and made one wonder whether he was rather wrong for thinking that certain unethical conducts were inappropriate.
“If you are appalled by the confluence of static traditions that shroud the ills of the elderly and those in authority, you are not alone. Further, if you think there is a dearth of truth among us as citizens, you are not alone,” he added.
The president made the call at the 2024 annual national Internal Audit & Governance conference in Accra yesterday. The three-day conference, which is on the theme: “Beyond boundaries: Navigating new boundaries,” is being attended by accountants and auditors across the country.
Concerns
Mr Zumasigee said a number of boundaries confronted professionals in their work in the country, including a lopsided global developmental structure which had created a north-south dichotomy.
“If you are wondering about how it is that people may stay as far away from their workplaces at a distance equivalent to that from Wa to Accra, yet they go to work daily via a reliable transportation system, while we struggle to get to work on time while staying within a radius of 25 Kilometres, you are not alone,” he said.
The president added that there were technological capability gaps that facilitated the exploitation of the less capable and which were deepening inequitable resource exploitation, leaving many people several decades behind the desired modern quality of living.
“If you are still ticking off audit checklists on paper or are required to maintain large files of audit papers instead of planning and carrying out all your audit work with the aid of an audit management application or sets of applications, you are not alone.
“Or, if you are wondering how Japan has just rolled out 6G mobile connectivity technology while we, in Ghana, are yet to attain nationwide 4G coverage, you are not alone,” he said.
Support
Mr Zumasigee further urged the public to demand a collective approach to tackling issues of corruption and institutional infractions as no single set of professionals can tackle the complexities of today's business environment by working in silos.
He added that the public have a responsibility to support people who speak truth and stand up for what was right because “those who benefit from wrongs make it difficult for new processes to be implemented”.
The president also urged appointing authorities to examine candidates’ integrity before entrusting them with positions of privilege. Mr Zumasigee said although internal auditors provided assurance, mitigated risks and drove positive change within organisations, to do so effectively, auditors must be willing to think and act beyond the traditional boundaries of their roles.
He also challenged them to explore various trends, innovative strategies and leading practices that redefine the landscape of organisational governance and internal auditing. “We will share in the expertise of notable personalities pushing the boundaries of varied professional fields. Through such learning, we will jointly discover new frontiers where, in our various capacities, we can add unprecedented value,” the president said.
Adaptation
The immediate past President of IAA, Harriet Akua Karikari, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said it was important for members of the institute to recognise the present global trends and adopt new ways of navigating them.
She also called on members to stay relevant by seeking new knowledge to help them address the challenges of the present times.