By Nadia Ntiamoah
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has charged the newly inaugurated Audit Committee of the Parliamentary Service to exercise rigorous oversight of Parliament’s expenditure and ensure that every public resource entrusted to the institution is properly accounted for.
Bagbin said Parliament, as the constitutional institution responsible for holding the Executive accountable for the management of public funds, must demonstrate the same standards of transparency, financial discipline and accountability in its own operations.
Addressing members of the newly constituted committee at its inauguration ceremony in Parliament on Tuesday, the Speaker stressed that the credibility of the legislature depended not only on its ability to scrutinise government spending but also on how responsibly it managed its own financial resources.
“Parliament cannot demand accountability from others if it does not first account for its own spending. Police every cedi we spend,” he declared.
He urged the committee members to discharge their responsibilities without fear or favour, insisting that no individual or office within the Parliamentary Service should be shielded from legitimate financial scrutiny.
“Every cedi entrusted to Parliament must be accounted for. Do your work without fear or favour, and know that the Board and Management stand fully behind you,” Bagbin added.
The Speaker called on the committee to work closely with the Internal Audit Unit and Management of the Parliamentary Service to strengthen internal financial controls and ensure that audit recommendations were implemented promptly.
He said the committee must pay particular attention to the effective use of public resources, ensuring that expenditure delivers value for money and that weaknesses identified through audit processes are addressed.
Bagbin also emphasised the importance of independence and integrity in the committee’s work, urging members to declare any personal or business interests that could potentially influence their judgement or affect their responsibilities.
The Committee comprises Conrad Dumbah and Dr. Mark Arhin representatives from Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Joyce Opoku-Duodu representative from Institute of Chartered Accountants, Clerk to Parliament Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror and Daniel Chirawura Chief Finance Officer of the Parliamentary Service.
The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Acting Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Conrad Z. Dumbah, expressed appreciation to the Speaker for institutionalising the Audit Committee and emphasised the importance of good governance in the ongoing national reset agenda.
