Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris, has stressed his resolve to fully implement the Internal Audit Modernization process in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government. He did this on Tuesday while declaring open a training programme for Internal Auditors on Forensic and Investigative Auditing.

While addressing staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and participants during the opening ceremony of the event, at the Treasury House, Abuja, the Accountant-General underscored the importance of the training. He said that it was a necessary step in building the right capacity required by the officers to be able to improve the internal Audit process and functions of the Treasury.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by Director Information (OAGF), Mrs. Kenechukwu Offie, the AGF further described the function of the Internal Audit as being key to achieving the on-going reforms in the Public Finance management of the government, saying “without reforms at the Internal Audit, fraud will continue to thrive.”

He therefore commended the Association of Forensic and Investigative Auditors Nigeria, for collaborating with the OAGF to organise the training and urged them to continue to work with the office to ensure that the capacity for carrying out this new trend in Auditing is fully transferred to the Treasury Staff to enable them effectively and efficiently carry out their duties in line with global best practices.

Idris congratulated the participants for being selected for the training, describing them as the first set that will form the core of the new Audit team and encouraged them to pay close attention to the facilitators to enable them benefit immensely from the training.

Earlier, Director, Audit Monitoring, Mr. Hakeem Dosumu, described the event as “marking the rebirth of forensic department that constantly have eagle eyes for preventing, detecting and reporting financial fraud.”

The Director said that the training will equip the participants with the tools of audit and investigation and expose them to the duties expected of auditors as expert witnesses and testimonials in law court. He thanked the AGF for his support, which has led to the growth and maturity of the Audit Monitoring Department.

In her remarks, President of AFIA, Dr. Mrs. Victoria Enape, said that the era of manual auditing has gone and the whole world is embracing forensic Auditing and Nigeria cannot be left behind, in view of the more complex nature that fraud has assumed worldwide. She pledged the continued support of her organisation towards providing all necessary technical assistance and training to the staff of the OAGF to enable them efficiently perform their duties.

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