The Northern Regional has inaugurated Audit Committees for the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the Northern Region, with a strong call for enhanced accountability, transparency, prudent management of public resources and sound financial governance.
The ceremony, held on Wednesday, 26th August 2026 at the Radach Lodge and Conference Centre in Tamale, formed part of a nationwide mass inauguration of Audit Committees for RCCs and MMDAs. It brought together representatives of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors, members of the newly inaugurated Audit Committees, Heads of Internal Audit Units and other stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency, Mr. Conrad Z. D. Dumbah, the representative of the Agency, Mr. Alhassan Fuseini, said the ceremony went beyond the formal inauguration of the committees, describing it as a renewed commitment to strengthening accountability, transparency, internal controls and good governance at the local government level.
He emphasised that MMDAs played a critical role in Ghanaβs decentralisation process and were responsible for delivering essential services and development programmes to communities. He therefore stressed the need for effective management and accountability of resources entrusted to the Assemblies.
Mr. Fuseini noted that functional Audit Committees were critical to ensuring that public resources were managed efficiently, internal controls remained effective and identified weaknesses were promptly addressed before they undermined institutional performance.
Addressing the newly appointed members, he said their positions came with significant responsibilities, including providing effective oversight of internal audit activities, reviewing audit reports, monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations and ensuring that weaknesses in internal controls were promptly addressed. He reminded them that the Audit Committee was not an enemy of management but a partner in good governance, while stressing that the partnership must be grounded in independence, objectivity, integrity and professionalism.
Speaking on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, the Chief Director of the NRCC, Mr. Sumaila Ewuntomah Abudu, described the inauguration as an important milestone in strengthening accountability, transparency, internal controls, risk management and sound financial governance within the regionβs local governance institutions.
Mr. Abudu welcomed the leadership and team of the Internal Audit Agency to the Northern Region and commended the Agency for organising the exercise. He stressed that effective audit systems were essential to ensuring that public resources were properly managed and utilised for their intended purposes.
He explained that the establishment of Audit Committees was in accordance with Section 86 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), which requires covered entities to establish Audit Committees to perform specific functions under the law. He added that the Revised Guidelines for Effective Functioning of Audit Committees, 2023, issued by the Ministry of Finance, further provided for their inauguration and effective functioning.
According to him, the newly inaugurated committees would undergo orientation to equip members with the requisite knowledge and understanding to effectively discharge their responsibilities. Their functions would include pursuing the implementation of recommendations contained in internal audit reports, Parliamentβs decisions on the Auditor-Generalβs reports and the Auditor-Generalβs Management Letters.
He further indicated that the committees would review internal audit work plans, internal audit charters and risk assessment reports, including fiscal risk assessment reports, while ensuring that Internal Auditors had adequate access to the committees and could communicate with them beyond scheduled meetings.
Mr. Abudu said the committees were also expected to provide advice on sound, transparent and reliable financial management practices and help establish strong and effective organisation-wide internal controls within the RCC and MMDAs, thereby improving governance systems and strengthening responsible management of public resources.
He stressed that public expectations regarding the management of state resources were particularly high because MMDAs were the level of government closest to the people and were responsible for providing critical infrastructure and services, including roads, water and sanitation, education and healthcare. He therefore called for resources allocated for development to reach their intended beneficiaries and produce the desired outcomes.
The Chief Director cautioned that accountability should not be treated as an occasional exercise undertaken only when an audit was conducted, but must become an integral part of the institutional culture of RCCs and MMDAs. He urged management teams to cooperate fully with the Audit Committees and Internal Audit Units and treat audit findings and recommendations as tools for institutional improvement rather than criticisms.
He also appealed to Audit Committee members to provide objective, constructive and independent oversight while collaborating effectively with management, Internal Audit Units and other stakeholders. He urged them to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, courage and integrity, and ensure that identified weaknesses were followed by appropriate corrective measures and timely implementation of audit recommendations.
Mr. Abudu observed that the success of Ghanaβs decentralisation system depended substantially on the capacity of local institutions to manage resources efficiently and effectively to deliver tangible results to citizens. He therefore described stronger audit and accountability mechanisms as essential to deepening local governance and improving public service delivery.
He assured that the Northern Regional Minister would continue to encourage the RCC and MMDAs to uphold accountability, transparency, integrity and value for money in the execution of their mandates. He consequently called on MMDCEs, Coordinating Directors, Finance Officers, Internal Auditors and Heads of Departments to provide the necessary support and cooperation to the newly inaugurated committees.
Mr. Abudu emphasised that the inauguration marked the beginning of a continuous process of strengthening institutional systems, identifying and managing risks, correcting weaknesses and improving service delivery. He urged stakeholders to collectively promote a culture where public resources were protected, decisions were transparent, risks were properly managed, internal controls were effective and audit recommendations were acted upon promptly.
He expressed appreciation to the Internal Audit Agency for organising the mass inauguration and for its continued efforts to strengthen internal audit and accountability across public institutions. He congratulated members of the RCC and MMDAs Audit Committees on their appointments and urged them to approach their responsibilities with dedication, independence and a strong commitment to the public interest, before declaring the Audit Committees duly inaugurated.