Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has called on African countries to place their Auditor-Generals and public audit institutions under Parliament rather than the Executive to strengthen financial accountability, protect public funds and ensure independent auditing of government expenditure.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) Conference and General Meeting in Accra on November 2, Mr Bagbin argued that placing audit institutions under the Executive could compromise their independence, particularly when they are expected to investigate financial activities of the same government that appoints them.
He stressed that independent audit institutions and effective Parliamentary Public Accounts Committees (PACs) were essential to preventing corruption, financial mismanagement and the misuse of public resources.
The four-day AFROPAC conference is being held under the theme “Oversight for Resilience: Strengthening Africa’s Public Accounts Committees amid a Shifting Financial Landscape.” The meeting brings together parliamentary leaders, Speakers of Parliament, audit officials and finance experts to strengthen public financial management and accountability across Africa.
Bagbin urged Public Accounts Committees to exercise their oversight responsibilities without political interference and called for adequate funding, stronger collaboration with the media and improved enforcement of audit recommendations.
He also emphasised the need for Parliament to make PAC findings more accessible to the public, particularly information on recovered funds, prevented financial irregularities and prosecutions resulting from investigations.
AFROPAC Vice-Chairperson and Atiwa East MP, Abena Osei-Asare, also called for stronger parliamentary oversight of government borrowing, revenue collection and the implementation of audit recommendations. She maintained that the effectiveness of PACs should be measured by corrective actions rather than the number of public hearings conducted.
In a statement delivered on his behalf, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson urged African governments to move beyond producing audit reports and ensure that officials responsible for financial irregularities face appropriate sanctions.
He warned that persistent audit findings without consequences undermine public accountability and allow waste, financial leakages and mismanagement to continue draining government resources.
Similarly, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin called on African parliaments to prioritise the recovery of misused public funds, corrective measures and sanctions against officials found culpable of financial wrongdoing.
The conference has renewed calls for stronger parliamentary oversight, independent auditing and improved public financial management to protect taxpayers’ money and promote transparency across Africa.
Source: newsthemegh.com