MESTI inaugurates Internal Audit Committee
Accra, Internal Audit Committee for the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), has been inaugurated to help advice the Ministry on how to deploy financial discipline in its operations.
The five-member Committee, chaired by Mr Armstrong Amanor of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), has other members as Ms Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Minister of Environment and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Ms Salimata Abdul-Salam, Chief Director of MESTI, Mr Martin Adjei of the IAA and Mr George Akwasi Boateng of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Per the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, Act 921, the Committee shall work to ensure that the Ministry pursues the implementation of any recommendation contained in an internal audit report, Parliament’s decision on the Auditor-General’s report, the Auditor-Generals Management Letter and the report of an internal monitoring unit in the covered entity concerned particularly, in relation to financial matters raised.
The committee would also work to provide an annual statement that would indicate the remedial action taken or proposed to be taken to avoid or minimise the recurrence of an undesirable feature in the accounts and operations of a covered entity and indicate the period for the completion of the remedial action, among others.
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of MESTI, assured the Committee that the sector would do its work very well and with diligence to ensure that there was sound financial management so that the committee would not find many adverse findings against the sector.
He, however, said an Audit Committee had a very difficult task as per its duties as outlined by the law and so there was the need to give it the needed co-operation to enable them work in accordance to its mandate.
He said per their selection, three members of the Committee were external staff while two were from the sector Ministry, and that indicated that the Committee would be more serious with its internal audit work.
Ms Abdul-Salam, said the purpose of setting up the Committee was one of the important position in the revise Financial Management Act.
She said the purpose was to support the Ministry to be able to utilise funds to yield value for money and to keep the Ministry on its toes in the expenditure and in the performance of its duties, looking at the financial audit.
Mr Ransford Adjei, Acting Director-General of the IAA, who inaugurated the Committee into office, charged them to work as high level Committee members that would work to ensure sanity in the finances of the Sector.
He said its main work would involve monitoring and evaluation of event as it advices on risk management of the Ministry and come out with solutions to identified risk.
Mr Adjei said the current financial Act had clear sanctions that held Ministries, Departments and Agencies responsible for their operations should they failed to comply with the Act, saying that would help institutions to operate better.
Members of the Committee took the oath of office and of secrecy.
The Chairperson of the Committee was later elected by the members in a meeting.
Mr George Akwasi Boateng, on behalf of the Committee said they would discharge their duties diligently to ensure financial discipline and safeguard the public purse.
He said the members would also discharge their duty with discipline and integrity to the service of the nation.
Source: Ghana News Agency
Rainstorm hit Tatale/Sanguli District
Yendi (NR) -Rainstorm has hit Tatale/Sanguli district of Northern Region ripping-up roofs of 122 houses running into millions of Ghana cedis.
It has also rendered 328 people homeless, according to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator of Tatale/ Sanguli district Mr George Taseri Bijoman.
He said some of the affected communities included; Tatale township, Kuyuli, Sheini, Mboladom, Nahuyili, Kpaributabu and others.
Mr Taseri indicated that the New Islamic Junior High School, English/Arabic Junior High School, Pentecost Primary School, Nurul Islamic Junior High and Ligungunbu Primary School were the most affected schools in the District.
He said most of the people were now living with relatives, friends, while others were sleeping in schools.
Most of the victims appealed to the Assembly, NADMO and the Regional Coordinating council to come to their aid.
Source: Ghana News Agency
Relevance of education forum held at Prampram
Tema, The SOS Children’s Villages Ghana has held its Family Strengthening Programme at Mataheko in the Ningo/Prampram District to raise awareness on the importance of education.
The programme, attended by the youth, was also to help them know their rights and expected roles in the society.
Mr Dziedzom Owusu-Agbe, the Project Officer of the Family Strengthening Programme, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said it is relevant for children to understand why they are in school and the role they must play as agents of change in their communities.
He said knowledge is power and advised school children to take their lessons seriously and be punctual at school.
Mr Frank Yirenkyi, a resource person of the SOS Children’s Villages, said every child has his hobbies and preferences and there is the need to help them to nurture their potentials.
He said: If you are a child and want to become somebody in future then you have to take your education serious and become an asset for the nation.
Mr Charles Dakpoe, a resource person and a facilitator of the programme, said children should understand that they have the right to ensure that good morals are practiced in their communities and the environment was well protected.
Source: Ghana News Agency
NCCE urges citizens to participate in governance
Koforidua, The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has called on Ghanaians to participate actively and effectively in governance in line with their civic rights and responsibilities as a good basis for national development.
According to NCCE, whilst democracy remained a preferred system of governance, it was important that the essence of it was not limited to elections only.
Any attempt to end our participation in democracy at elections is to limit the true expression of our sovereign will as enshrined in the constitution.
The Deputy Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr Augustine Bostrotsi, who made the call when le launched the Eastern Regional 2017 edition of the National Constitution Week celebration.
He emphasized that effective participation of the citizenry in national affairs, at all levels was critical in ensuring accountability and transparency in both private and public life.
He said there were greater challenges of governance that required the participation of the citizenry, through the engagement of leaders on the basis of principled democratic arrangements to build a society that respects the virtues of transparency and accountability.
Mr Bostrotsi, noted that the 1992 constitution in its preamble demands transparency and accountability and therefore it was an obligation on the citizenry to demand accountability from political leaders to ensure that national priorities were set and that national resources were properly managed in the best interest and welfare of citizens.
Mrs Agnes Majisi, an education officer of the NCCE, said the as part of the constitution week celebration, Junior High schools across the districts in the region would be engaged in series of activities to educate them on the tenets of the constitution.
She said role models and achievers in the society would also be engaged to counsel school children on the need to uphold hard work and integrity in order to become assets to national development.
Source: Ghana News Agency
GHANAIAN GOVT WORKING TO REVIVE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME, SAY PRESIDENT
HI, GHANA, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the government is working feverishly to revive the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and was paying all outstanding claims and addressing other financial challenges to re-position the scheme.
Addressing a thanksgiving service of the Global Evangelical Church in Ho, the capital of southern Volta Region (Province), Sunday, he said health and education remained priority areas for the government and called for support of all to fix the challenges in those sectors.
He added that government was committed to developing all parts of the country and that the “One District, One Factory” programme would start in June this year in a bid to industrialise the country.
President Akufo-Addo said the government’s “Planting for Food and Job”‘ and the Free Senior High School programmes would also begin soon to boost food security and enhance access to education. “I am committed to promises I made about the future direction of our country and we are doing our best to fulfill them,” he said.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK
