Africa-Press – Gambia. The Council of the Gambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (GICA) yesterday issued a statement expressing its “utter shock and consternation” at the manner in which police forcefully removed the embattled auditor general Modou Ceesay from his office on 15th September.
On 10th September, State House announced that President Adama Barrow has appointed Modou Ceesay, auditor general as Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment.
Mr Ceesay subsequently issued a statement on 11th September disclosing he has respectfully declined the president’s offer of appointment and reiterated his dedication to serving his role as auditor general.
According to GICA, Mr Ceesay neither resigned from his position as auditor general nor was his service at the time of the incident terminated by the president.
“As a professional accountancy body, we would like to remind the government about the crucial role of this very important office in our governance and accountability structure. We would also like to emphasise how independence of this office is sacrosanct in effective discharge of its prescribed functions as enshrined in the Constitution of The Gambia and National Audit Office Act, 2015.
“The government, donor partners and other key stakeholders rely on audit reports produced by the National Audit Office to keep abreast of vital fiscal matters and to make essential decisions for national development. It is imperative therefore, the leadership of this important Office is independent and seen to be so. This is crucial in maintaining public confidence in audit reports and integrity of audit process,” the institute stated.
GICA reiterated that since Ceesay is the substantive holder of the position of the auditor general, and has neither resigned nor his service terminated officially, he should be allowed to execute his functions.
“This matter poses significant reputational risk to the National Audit Office so GICA therefore, call on the government to resolve it amicably and prudently,” it concluded.
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