Parliament under the distinguished Speaker of the Eight Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has been adjudged the best among the three arms of Government in terms of the performance of its Audit Committee.
This accolade was announced by Dr. Eric Osae, Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency, during a brief ceremony where he presented the award to the Speaker, the Board, and the Management of the Parliamentary Service at Parliament House.
Dr. Osae explained that the award evaluated the Audit Committees of the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. Criteria included meetings between the heads of these arms of government and their Audit Committees, collaboration with management to implement recommendations from internal and external audit reports, and capacity building for internal auditors and audit committees.
Parliament excelled in all these areas, with Speaker Bagbin meeting with the Audit Committee three times in one year and insisting on the implementation of recommendations by the Clerk and Deputy Clerks.
Dr. Osae noted that this recognition follows a previous award to Speaker Bagbin last year for exemplary leadership and financial discipline. “It came as no surprise that Parliament was recognized as the best among the three arms of government for audit committee management,” he added.
In his acceptance remarks, Speaker Bagbin expressed gratitude, acknowledging the challenges faced since Parliament lacked a dedicated Audit Committee in the past.
He emphasized that the committee is a crucial tool for good governance and announced that Parliament will soon release its annual reports and audit reports for 2021, 2022, and 2023.
This will be a significant milestone, marking the first time such reports are made public and positioning Parliament among the leaders in Africa for financial and fiscal transparency.
Speaker Bagbin urged management to ensure that future Speakers continue this initiative to prevent financial mismanagement and wastage.
The Clerk to Parliament also praised the Internal Audit Agency for their support and acknowledged the Rt. Hon. Speaker’s instrumental role in achieving this success. He assured that the management will continue to adhere to high standards of corporate governance.
The Audit Committee of the Parliamentary Service includes Mr. Fiifi Kwakye (Chairman), Dr. Eric Osae (Member), Dr. Cynthia Sallah (Member, representing the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana), Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror (Member, representing Parliament), Mr. Daniel Chirawura (Coordinating Director-Finance, Member), and Nana Tawiah Okyir (Director of Legal, Secretary).
