By Sulaiman Jalloh
The Parliamentary Committee on Public Account, Parliament of Sierra Leone chaired by the Deputy Speaker Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh has commenced the 2021 and 2022 Audit reports hearings with Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) today, Wednesday, September 4, 2024 and will end on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
The commencement underscores the unwavering commitment of the Public Account Committee (PAC) in ensuring financial accountability within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies and to ensure transparency in its oversight functions aiming to scrutinize the financial activities of various government entities.
It could be recalled that the principal clerk of the committee Augustine Sesay has issued a press release. In the release, Mr. Essay said “All past and present vote controllers and core staff of ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as the tertiary institutions listed on the scheduled for the hearings for Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) on Financial Years (FYs) 2021 and 2022 Auditor General’s Report (AGR) are accordingly summoned to be in attendance” stressing any defaulting entity will be delt with according to the Law.
According to the release, the committee would on today, Wednesday, September 4, 2024 engage the ministry of health at the administrative building in Parliament, 5th September, ministry of technical and higher education, on the 6th, ministry of Planning and Economic development until the 24th September, 2024 the Committee will engage Milton Margai technical university, Njala University, Eastern technical university, Earnest Bai Koroma university of science and technology.
It is expected the Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh and team will delve into details of the Audit report and under his guidance, and has recovered millions of Leones and is poised to uncover any irregularities, inefficiencies, or mismanagement of public funds.
As always, the PAC is expected to provide a platform for dialogue, investigation, and accountability into audit queries by holding MDAs accountable for their actions and financial decisions if they violate the Law (the constitution of Sierra Leone, the Public Financial Management Act) and other relevant laws to its operations.
Although, parliament has adjourned for two recess, Standing orders 70(d) of Parliament of Sierra Leone gives the Public Account Committee the power to examine any accounts or reports of statutory corporations and boards after they have been laid on the table of the House of parliament.
