Local Govt Service investigates alleged falsification of documents

The Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS) has begun a nationwide investigation into alleged scanning and falsification of official documents by internal auditors and engineers in the  metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to fleece the country.

The Head of the Service, Dr Nana Ato Arthur, said the level of collusion between auditors and service providers was scary, which if not nipped in the bud, could dissipate national resources and threaten economic growth.

Currently, he said, a number of internal auditors were being investigated by the Local Government Service in the Volta Region for alleged collusion with service providers to rob the state of millions of Ghana cedis.

"The level of collusion between auditors and engineers to pay for non-existing jobs is alarming," he  said.

Dr Arthur made the assertion at the 5th annual congress of the National Internal Auditors Association of MMDAs and Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) in Kumasi last Wednesday.

He explained that the move was to sanitise the system and protect the public purse.  

Theme

The national convocation of auditors is on the theme: "Restructuring internal auditing as an effective management tool for resource mobilisation."

More than 500 professionals are deliberating on a new blueprint to streamline activities of auditing and provide guidelines for future activities.

Nation wreckers

Ing. Dr Nana Arthur said the nationwide audit would be intense and drastic to weed out such "nation wreckers" from the system.

He called for a new era in auditing with prime focus on excellence in service delivery through innovation and genuine approaches.

"We need to tackle the issue of fraud and corruption to put the country's economy on a sound footing to achieve Ghana Beyond Aid agenda," he added.

Ing. Dr Nana Arthur urged internal auditors to remain professional and stop the practice of leaking official document to the public for peanuts.

Postings

He said postings of internal auditors to the new district assemblies within the newly-created regions would be announced tomorrow ( Friday) and urged professionals to be ready to accept postings to any part of the country in the interest of national cohesion and development.

Board chair

 The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Internal Audit Agency, Mr Joe Windful, underscored the need for the effective management of national resources, especially in the area of finance, to promote national development.

"If we have people with the wrong mindset, we can't develop.

" It is time for us as a nation to look at international best practices and not get buckled down with legalities," Mr Windful said.

The President of the National Internal Auditors Association, Mr  Michael Ayivi, proposed a number of reforms, including structural, to make professionals more effective in the delivery of their services.