Why We Widened Scope Of Auditing – Niger State Govt. Explains

The Niger State Government has said that it has widened the scope of auditing over the years based on demand for independent verification of information to the extent that it can no longer be limited to the audit of financial operations.

The State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abubakar Baba Aliyu, who stated this at a one-day workshop on 2022 budget preparations for all State owned tertiary Institutions,

said the audit objectives of education has been viewed traditionally as an independent examination of the financial statements of an entity.

He said that this is followed by the expression of independent opinion as to the truthfulness and fairness of the financial statement against the criteria of generally accepted accounting principles and standards in the state.

The Commissioner commended the Ministry for the initiating and organizing the workshop, saying that it will make core ministries, departments and agencies to be on the same page in budget preparation and implementation.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Abubakar Salisu said that the major policy thrust of 2022 budget include, Security, Enhancement of Revenue, widening the tax net exploration of other revenue sources such as solid minerals and agricultural value chain.

Abubakar said the government has extended the audit objective to include an ascertainment of whether the establishment being audited is achieving the purposes for which its programmes wer authorized.

Also speaking at the workshop, the State Head of Service, Mrs Salamatu Abubakar, who was represented by the Director Establishment in her Office, Shaffi Zakari, urged the participants to explore avenue through which the state would achieve the set targets.

In her presentation, the head, planning and implementation in the Niger State Budget office, Aisha Umar, explained that the essence of the workshop is to provide a way of getting out of the jinx of continual and repeated adverse budgetary performance.

She said that there is need for due process in budget implementation in all tertiary institutions in the state so as to secure best value in terms of allocation and utilization of scarce resources that are available to the society.

Umar equally highlighted the overall characteristics of good public procurement system to include a strong legal, organizational and professional framework to make the system robust and effective.

She said the programme will highlight the need for a budget implementation process to be carried out under the constraint of value-for-money, accountability and transparency.

In their separate remarks, the Deputy Registrar of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Idris Saleh Kusherki and Bursar Fati Lamin Abubakar, Aliyu Umar Galadima, commended the effort of the state planning commission towards the realization of the workshop, describing the development as timely.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Ismaila Saba Favu states that the workshop witnessed representatives from all the State owned tertiary Institutions.