The Audit Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC) was inaugurated by the Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Dr. Eric Oduro Osae on 29th August, 2022.
The Ag. Registrar of the Council, Mrs. Philomena Woolley who chaired the inauguration said the PFM Act 2016 (Act 921) mandates the establishment of the Audit Committee and since the 4-year tenure of the previous Committee was over, there was the need to inaugurate a new one and hence the inauguration. She continued that the past Committee helped to put the Council on its toes and expressed the hope that the new Committee would continue where its predecessor left off.
Dr. Osae in delivering his address thanked the new members for accepting to serve on the Audit Committee. He added that the country will be an enviable one if all hands would be put on deck to strengthen internal controls in public institutions. He mentioned that as a regulator, the N&MC is an important institution with frontline officers who contribute immensely to the development of the country. Dr. Osae entreated the Committee to give off its best and help design a system that will be fit for purpose. He tasked the Committee not to only emphasize on financial management but also performance management. He explained that this is essential as the release of one dangerous nurse or midwife into the system will have dire consequences.
Dr. Osae outlined the mandatory, advisory and supporting roles of the Committee and said the mandatory roles include members supporting Management in the implementation of recommendations contained in Internal and External Audit Reports and Monitoring Reports. The Committee is also required to prepare and submit an annual report on their activities to be circulated to key stakeholders including the Agency. On the advisory roles, the Committee is to provide advisory and assurance services on sound financial and risk management practices. He tasked the Committee to help leadership to mainstream risk management into its operations since one mistake could have ripple effect and moreover, public institutions are now moving away from conventional to risk-based auditing. Dr. Osae mentioned that the supporting roles of the Committee include supporting the Internal Audit Unit to prepare the Risk Based Internal Audit Plan for onward submission to the Agency. He intimated that the Agency is not only naming and shaming institutions for non-submission of required reports and plans but moving on to the application of the sanction regime. He entreated the Committee to develop a good working relationship with the mother Ministry.
The Director-General shared on some of the activities the Agency is currently involved in and said IAA is supporting the Government to rid the payroll off ghost names in which regard the Agency has been undertaking a monthly validation of the payroll of public institutions. Dr. Osae stated that N&MC is required to submit a payroll report to the Agency by the 15th of every month. He intimidated that since the assignment commenced in May this year, the Agency has saved the Government GHS 665 million. He mentioned that key risky institutions include the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the National Security among others which exhaust 80% of the country’s salary budget. Dr. Osae concluded by entreating the Committee to support the Council so that its image would not be tarnished by the discovery of ghost names on its payroll.
In her closing remarks, Mrs. Woolley thanked the Director-General for taking time off his busy schedule to inaugurate the Committee. She also thanked the outgoing Committee for its excellent work and dedication to duty and implored the new Committee to give off its best.
Members of the Committee are Mr. Dominic Adjei-Kyereh (ICAG Rep and Chairman of the Committee), Ms. Mercy Okine (IAA Rep), Ms. Susan Asiedu (IAA Rep) and Madam Lesline Nyankson (N&MC Board).
