Audits Help Organisation Function Better—Ayine

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigeria’s Auditor-General, Mr Anthony Ayine, has stressed the importance of auditing an organisation, saying it improves performance of the entity.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr Mr Aliyu Aziz, the AGF said, “Audit is not to attack or to witch-hunt an organisation, but to help the auditee to function better.”

“When we conduct our audit, we make recommendations toward improvement and also add value to our work,” he added.

Mr Ayine commended the management of NIMC for its adherence to the principles of due process and accountability.

According to him, there was need to understand the activities of the commission, so as to audit effectively and bridge the communication gap between both organisations.

He commended the harmonisation process headed by NIMC, as it would effectively reduce the cost incurred from duplication of functions by many data collecting agencies.

Mr Ayine assured NIMC of his office support to ensure the successful delivery of NIMC’s mandate, also clearing popular misconceptions about auditing.

He described his visit to the agency as recognition of the strategic importance of NIMC to the planning and execution of key programmes in the country.

In his remarks, Mr Aziz expressed gratitude to his guest, assuring him that the commission would work with his office on the best possible ways to ensure the fulfilment of its mandate.

Aziz also confirmed that with the enforcement of the mandatory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) all transactions would entail the attachment of NIN, explaining that it would create an avenue for easy tracking and the reduction of fraudulent activities in the country.