By: Nicholas Bass
The National Auditor General, Modou Ceesay, Thursday firmly denied allegations made against his office by barrister Baboucarr Bouye.
He asserts that the National Audit Office (NAO) continues to audit all government departments’ accounts, public enterprises, and other relevant institutions in line with its legal mandate.
Speaking in a brief interview with The Voice, Mr. Ceesay stated that both the Public Finance Account Committee and the Public Enterprises Committee recently presented their audit reports to the public, reflecting the NAO’s commitment to transparency and constitutional responsibility.
He further disclosed that the NAO has engaged private audit firms to assist in fulfilling its mandate more effectively. These firms, working alongside NAO staff, have helped prepare and present audit reports before the National Assembly.
“We have also published several reports on our official website and other social media platforms to keep the public informed,” Mr. Ceesay added.
While acknowledging existing challenges, including limited resources and staffing, the Auditor General explained that in some cases it could take up to three months to complete the audit of a single account. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the National Audit Act authorizes his office to hire external auditors a common international practice to ensure comprehensive oversight.
In contrast, barrister and Supreme Court solicitor Baboucarr Bouye had criticized the Auditor General, accusing him of failing to present audited accounts of all government departments to the National Assembly. According to Bouye, this undermines efforts toward transparency and accountability.
“The problem is the Auditor General is not reporting on the audited accounts of all government departments before the National Assembly,” Bouye claimed.
He further argues that even if some audits have been conducted, the reports are not adequately published, leaving the public uninformed about the government’s financial performance and constraints.
“It is the duty of the National Auditor to audit all accounts of government departments and submit those reports to the National Assembly for scrutiny,” Bouye insisted. He warned that without comprehensive audit reports, the legislature cannot make informed recommendations on the allocation or withholding of public funds.
“The National Assembly can only recommend expenditure reductions in specific departments if proper audit reports are tabled before Parliament. Gambians deserve to know how much income each government sector generates annually,” Bouye said.
“If the accounts are not audited, we cannot fully understand what the government is earning from each department. Yet we approve budgets and disburse public funds every year,” he concluded.
