By
Julius K. Satsi, GNA
Accra, June 19, GNA – A five-member Audit
Committee of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ),
was on Tuesday inaugurated to ensure implementation of recommendations to the
Commission.
The audit committee was inaugurated based on
Article 86 to 88 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) to also
prepare an annual statement showing the status of implementation of any
recommendation.
The committee is chaired by Mr Edward
Fiawoyife, a representative of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) with Mrs Regina
Commey, the Senior Principal Administration Officer of CHRAJ as the secretary.
The members are Mrs Josephine Opoku-Agyemang,
a representative from IAA; Mr Emmanuel K. Arthur, a representative from the
Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana; Mrs Nana Yamfoah, a representative
from CHRAJ and Mr Henry Asheley, the Director of Human Resources at CHRAJ.
Inaugurating the Committee, Mr Ransford Agyei,
the Acting Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, urged members to be
interested in the management style of CHRAJ for effective delivery of their
mandate.
He urged the members of the committee to
acquaint themselves with the policies, the procedures and the management style
of the Commission in order not to impose procedures of individual members’
professional body.
Mr Agyei said compliance issue was a major
problem nationally, and charged the committee to ensure that compliance was
maintained in the Commission.
He noted that the committee had the authority
to cause investigations but within its remit and also to demand documents
needed from the internal auditors.
He told them to use the internal auditors for
confirmation of implementation saying, “the internal auditor will be your eye
and ear.”
Mr Agyei urged Committee members to be
committed to the task, saying that, there was the need to work closely with the
internal auditor, finance officer and the Commissioner.
He noted the Integrity of members, due
diligence, adherence to law and objectivity were very key.
Mr Joseph Whitall, the Commissioner of CHRAJ,
pledged the Commission’s support for the committee and said all needed supports
and documentation would be available to the committee.
He said the commission was keen on
accountability because “we cannot hold officers accountable when we are not
accountable”
He assured the committee of working with free
hands, saying, “Transparency is very critical to the work of every institution
given resources to work”.
Mr Fiawoyife, the Chairman of the Committee,
pledged the dedication of the committee member’s expertise to the cause of the
commission.
He said they would work assiduously to ensure
that CHRAJ had minimal issues at the Public Accountability Committee calling.
GNA