THE Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing the Alimosho Constituency II, Hon Kehinde Olaide Joseph, participated as a panellist in the fireside chat session as the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Nigeria held its 10th Annual National Conference in Ikoyi, Lagos, under the theme "Building Resilience in Poly-Crisis.".
He shared his expertise on "Combating Corruption: How Internal Auditors Can Help," providing valuable insights into the critical role of transparency in Government procurement, contracting, and budgeting.
As Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC), Hon. Joseph emphasised the importance of internal audits in ensuring accountability, transparency, and good governance within public sector institutions. He highlighted key initiatives to enhance internal auditor performance, including implementing robust capacity-building programs, establishing quality assurance and control mechanisms, ensuring independence and objectivity, fostering collaborative relationships with external auditors and anti-corruption agencies, and leveraging cutting-edge technology and data analytics.
Hon. Joseph reiterated the need for a comprehensive evaluation of trends in corruption in public services. This includes assessing transparency and accountability mechanisms, evaluating anti-corruption agencies' effectiveness, examining whistleblower protection policies, analysing citizen engagement and education in governance processes, and reviewing investigative journalism and media freedom. He stressed addressing underlying socio-economic factors contributing to corruption, such as poverty reduction, inequality alleviation, improved access to education, and economic empowerment.
Conference host, Tolu Odulabe, commended Hon. Joseph's dedication to promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in Lagos State. Odulabe noted that Hon. Joseph's participation demonstrates his commitment to excellence in public service and unwavering support for internal auditing standards and practices. As a champion of audit autonomy, Hon. Joseph has consistently advocated for strengthened internal audit systems to combat corruption.
The grassroots-friendly Lawmaker, thereafter, received an award of honour for his unwavering support and recognition of the IIA's efforts in promoting internal auditing standards and practices. This prestigious award acknowledges his commitment to strengthening internal audit systems in the public sector to combat corruption, reflecting his tireless efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.