-GAC kickoff audit in Nimba
BY: Shallon S. Gonlor
SANNIQUELLIE, NIMBA CO. — The General Auditing Commission (GAC) of Liberia has begun a comprehensive audit of the current and past County Administration of Nimba.
The ongoing audit exercise officially commenced today, August 15, 2024 and is expected to be concluded August 24, 2024 with an expected report. The two weeks holistic and full scale audit of the Nimba County Administration covers the period of 2014 to 2024. After 10 years without audit, the county’s last time audit period was held 2011 to 2013.
At a live radio talk show Thursday morning on Radio Nimba, the GAC and MIA auditors stated that the audit aims to ensure efficiency and fairness in public fundings and expenditures. The expert auditors explained that the audit will focus on budget management, cash management, procurement procedures, and other areas.
The auditors comprising of the GAC and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ officials despatched in the county are Albert B. Gibson, Audit Manager, Charlotte Pearson Weah, Manager and Team Lead, George S. David, Jr., Auditor and Team Member, and Emmanuel S. Naybe, Sr., a representative of MIA.
The Act establishing the GAC specifically empowers the Agency to conduct audits of public accounts and funds of the Government of Republic of Liberia intended for development purposes.
As an independent auditor of Liberia, the GAC supports legislative oversight over the management of public resources which serves the people of Liberia by conducting quality and timely financial, compliance and performance audits. However, the audit marks the beginning of Superintendent Kou MeapehGono’s commitment to fighting corruption as well as ensuring transparency and accountability in the governance system of the county.
Superintendent Gono at different public engagements, most notably, her induction address committed and recommitted to ensuring that a comprehensive audit of present and past county leaders is done in order to account for the County Social Development Fund — CSDF. Since assuming her current role, Supt. Gono has hit the ground running parallel to President Boakai’s national agenda “A. R. R. E. S. T.”
Speaking to journalists recently, the Superintendent and Chairperson of the Superintendent Council of Liberia promised integrity, transparency and dignity under her stewardship. She vowed not to leave any stone untouched in the ongoing audit of present and past leaderships, commissioning a comprehensive audit of the county government’s management of funds and assets.
Like past County Administration, Ex-superintendent of NimbaCounty, Nelson Korquoi has been linked to several dubious deals including the illegal sale of the county’s scrap metals, the sale of a pickup truck belonging to the county’s project management committee, and the misappropriation of L$500,000 (US$2,512) given to Nimba by the Ministry of Youth and Sports as Nimba’s share of the proceeds from the National County Sports Meet.
The former superintendent who promised to conduct an audit from 2014 to 2020 during his administration so as to prove his good name and innocent, failed to commission said audit.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono has said that those that the ongoing audit will indict for corruption and mismanagement of the county’s money following the audit would be made to pay back the fund or face legal actions. The County’s 24 Superintendent has however called on all former and current county leaderships to cooperate with the audit team, noting that her intention is not to witch-hunt.
She added that the audit is in fulfillment of her commitment and promise to the people of Nimba to promote transparency and accountability in line with President Joseph Boakai’s agenda, “A. R. R. E. S. T”. Meanwhile, the GAC Team through a request of the County Administration is conducting an audit including physical verification head count for all employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Nimba.
The verification exercise is expected to cover Sanniquellie-MahStatutory District, Tappita Statutory District, Yarwin-Mehnsonoh Statutory District, Zoe-Geh Statutory District, and Gbehlay-Geh Statutory District respectively. The physical verification head count and audit start Thursday, August 15 and end August 24, 2024.
