The Audit Committee of the Legal Aid Commission was inaugurated on 24th November, 2022 by the Director-General of the Agency, Dr. E.O. Osae.
Members of the Committee are Mr. Alfred Osei Kwame (IAA Rep and Chairman of the Committee), Mr. Daniel Adjetey Adjei (IAA Rep), Mr. Samuel Nii Atoh Abbey (ICAG Rep) and Madam Evelyn A. Nuno-Amartefio representing the Commission. Madam Bertha Adjoa Essah is the Secretary of the Committee.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Martin Tieku Amoyaw, Executive Director of the Commission gave the purpose of the meeting and said the inauguration was in fulfillment of the PFM law. He added that as a legal entity, the Commission must not be seen to be breaching of the law. He indicated the immense support they received from the previous Committee and apologised for the delay in inaugurating the new Committee.
In his address, Dr. Osae stated that the Audit Committee is a Statutory Committee established to ensure a reduction in infractions reported on public institutions. He enumerated the mandatory, advisory and supporting roles of the Committee prescribed by the PFM Act. The mandatory roles he indicated include implementation of recommendations contained in internal and external auditors reports and any monitoring report commissioned by the Board. He charged the Committee to add value to the institution’s processes and ensure that good internal control systems exist in the organization at all times to enable it attract donor support.
The advisory roles of the Committee he mentioned include advising Management on the implementation of risk mitigation systems. He advised the Committee to help Management develop a Risk Management Policy if there is none and assured the Agency’s support in that regard. On the supporting role, members were charged to support the Internal Audit Unit in preparing and submitting Risk-based Plans and reports. Dr. Osae emphasised that any infraction reported by external auditors would have been seen by internal auditors first. He advised the Committee to make itself available for the entry and exit meetings of External Auditors of the organisation.
Concluding, the Director-General entreated the Committee to give off their utmost best so that their names would be written in gold when the history of the Commission is published.