The President of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Ghana, Harriet AkuaKarikari, has dispelled the misconception that internal auditors are “policemen.”
She said the job of internal auditors was not to find faults or catch people as many people believed.
Ms Karikari said this when addressing the media after the IIA-Ghana’s health walk in Accra last Saturday, and noted that internal auditors were part of an organisation, and as part of their duties helped management in taking the right decisions.
“We identify red flags and advise management to take the necessary actions so that it would not occur,” she added.
She said the health walk was to dispel misconception about the profession and for people to know that internal auditors were trusted advisors, provided insights and foresight as well as helped management achieve its objectives.
Ms Karikari said internal auditors also evaluated emerging trends and risks, advised management and identified red flags in terms of fraud for them to put in place measures to curb its occurrence.
As such, she advised management of organisations to provide internal auditors with all the necessary resources required to make their work easy as they were integral.
“Now internal audits have evolved. We are going digital in every organisation so we need to equip personnel so that they can work effectively,”she said.
“We are seen to be second to finance officers and accountants because of that we are not remunerated well. We have the same qualifications but our colleague finance officers are paid very well,” she added.
Ms Karikari however said the government would soon institute an internal audit service to help address some of the challenges they faced.
She then used the opportunity to encourage internal audit departments and all organisations to create the awareness on the essence of internal auditors as the month of May was to celebrate internal auditors.
Ms Karikari said the IIA-Ghana’s major programme to mark its month was the launch of its awareness month which coincided with the annual internal audit and governance council and was graced by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
She indicated that there would also be an African conference in Zambia in the coming week, adding that “we are also encouraging our members in their various organisations to have activities to mark the month.”
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
