The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Committee on Local Government and Decentralisation, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, has cautioned Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) against allowing audit irregularities to recur year after year without meaningful corrective action.
He said the effectiveness of Ghana’s public audit system should ultimately be measured by the extent to which audit recommendations were implemented, identified weaknesses addressed and institutional systems strengthened.
“Audit findings should not become an annual ritual where the same weaknesses are identified year after year without adequate corrective action,” the Bantama Member of Parliament (MP) said.
Mr Asenso-Boakye made the remarks at the opening of public hearings by Parliament’s Local Government, Decentralisation and Religious Affairs Committee on the Annual Statements of Audit Committees of MMDAs, which had been referred to the Committee by the Speaker of Parliament.
He said Parliament must pay particular attention not only to irregularities identified in audit reports, but also to the underlying reasons why such weaknesses persisted and whether recommendations from previous audits had been effectively implemented.
“The true value of an audit process lies in whether its recommendations lead to improved systems, stronger internal controls, better financial management and, ultimately, better outcomes for our people,” he stated.
Mr Asenso-Boakye said the Committee’s responsibility went beyond identifying infractions, as it must also examine the underlying causes of recurring weaknesses and ensure that practical corrective measures were put in place to prevent their recurrence.
He stressed that where breaches involved the misuse of public funds or disregard for established procedures, appropriate accountability must follow.
However, he said where the challenges resulted from institutional, capacity or systemic weaknesses, Parliament should equally push for reforms to address the underlying problems.
Mr Asenso-Boakye therefore called for frank and constructive engagement between the Committee and officials of the various Assemblies throughout the hearings.
He said the ultimate objective of the exercise should be to strengthen local governance systems, improve financial management and ensure that public resources were managed responsibly and used for their intended purposes.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
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