The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Somanya, Eastern Region, has inaugurated a five-member Audit Committee to strengthen institutional governance, financial discipline, risk management, transparency and accountability.
The Committee, which will serve a two-year term, was inaugurated at the University’s Council Chamber in the presence of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson; members of Management; representatives of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG); and members of the University’s Governing Council.
The newly constituted Committee comprises Mr. David Paraiso, ICAG representative and Chair; Mr. Emmanuel Gbogr, IAA representative; Mr. Dominic Teye Aborbi, IAA representative; Dr. Haj Ahmed Zakaria Abdullahi, representative of the UESD Governing Council; and Prof. Anthony Amoah, Dean of the School of Sustainable Development and representative of the Governing Council. The Registrar and Secretary to the Committee, Mrs. Mary Abena Agyepong, served as moderator.
Administering the oaths of office and secrecy, the Deputy Director-General and representative of the Internal Audit Agency, Mr. Bismark Aborbi-Ayitey, charged members to uphold confidentiality, integrity and accountability in the discharge of their mandate.
He explained that the Audit Committee operates within Ghana’s Public Financial Management framework and has a critical role in strengthening the University’s internal control systems. Its responsibilities include reviewing internal audit reports, monitoring institutional risks, identifying control weaknesses, following up on the Auditor-General’s management letters, reviewing financial statements ahead of external audits and supporting Management in implementing audit recommendations.
Mr. Aborbi-Ayitey urged the Committee members to work as a strategic partner to Management rather than as a policing body, while maintaining the independence required to provide objective oversight. He encouraged members to ask difficult questions, ensure compliance with procurement requirements and proactively identify risks that could affect the University’s operations.
He noted that effective risk management was particularly important in a young institution, where operational pressures could sometimes cause critical controls to be overlooked.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, described the inauguration as an important milestone in strengthening governance at UESD, noting that the University had been without an Audit Committee for more than six months.
He described the Committee as a “guardian of stakeholder trust” and urged members to discharge their responsibilities with diligence, independence, courage and integrity. He expressed confidence that the expertise and guidance of the Committee would provide Management with greater assurance in its decision-making and contribute to strengthening financial integrity, compliance and accountability across the University.
Joining the ceremony virtually, the Chairman of the UESD Governing Council, Hon. Seth Emmanuel Terkper, expressed the Council’s support for the newly inaugurated Committee.
Hon. Terkper stressed the importance of robust internal audit systems in identifying and addressing challenges before they escalate into issues requiring external audit or parliamentary scrutiny. He also acknowledged the resource and infrastructural challenges confronting the young University and encouraged the Committee to work collaboratively with Management while ensuring prudent and accountable use of public resources.