Internal Audit

Internal Audit is a department in the Ministry responsible for independent check on activities and assisting management to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of all control mechanisms put in place. The Department comprises of 2 Divisions:

  • Pre – payment
  • Budget Monitoring/Forensic

Under the above, the following Units are established:

    • Prepayment
    • System audit
    • Forensic audit
    • Revenue and Budget Monitoring
    • Capital
    • Recurrent.

The department, not only carries out financial audit, but also management audit of other areas of the Ministry’s function with a view to monitoring their efficiency and effectiveness. It carries out special reviews or assignments, which may be directed by Management. In some circumstances, the department can initiate special reviews itself in the course of normal audit assignments, which includes:-

    • Continuous Examination/Testing of System and Procedures in force so as to establish adequacy and effectiveness of internal control.
    • To support the overall vision of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in establishing an enabling and sustainable environment for water supply, sanitation, irrigation, and dams construction to achieve the desired national reforms and human development objectives. Objectives
    • To put in place, flexible and in depth annual audit programme that will eliminate/ reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, with a view to enhancing timely, efficient and effective service delivery to the public.
    • To monitor the use of resources in the pursuit of the defined vision of the Ministry.
    • To verify compliance with the organization’s policies and procedures
    • To ensure proper safe guard of assets and inspect books, files and ledgers on all assets to encourage proper maintenance of same.
    • To ensure training and re-training of audit staff with Modern Techniques of auditing particularly in the area of information technology;
    • To report irregularities to management and recommend corrective measures and preventive actions to avert re-occurrence. Functions
    • Continuous 100% pre-payment auditing of all payment vouchers before actual payments were effected at the headquarters only. Continuous examinations of all accounting books, testing the accuracy or otherwise of records maintained, detect/prevent fraud, and rectify errors
    • Continuous examinations of systems and procedures in force so as to establish adequacy and effectiveness of internal control mechanism.
    • Periodic reports to management for decision-making. Any other duty as may be assigned by the management. The functions of the unit cover the activities at the following areas: The Ministry Headquarters; All Parastatals and Agencies.

Achievements
The Achievements recorded by the department in the year under review included:-

    • Audit programme for the year has been prepared and approved by the Permanent Secretary.
    • Copies of the approved audit programme had been submitted to the office of Accountant-General of the Federation and the Auditor-General of the Federation.
    • Monthly reports for the routine audit exercises conducted for the Ministry’s Headquarters have been prepared and submitted to the permanent secretary. Copies have also been forwarded to the offices of Accountant -General of the Federation and Auditor- General for the Federation.
    • 100% pre-payment auditing has been a continuous exercise of the Department. Capital project vouchers for mobilization brought before the department have been audited. All vouchers for recurrent payments have been treated.
    • The accounts of six river Basin Development Authorities have been audited up to 30th September, 2010. Reports of the exercises conducted were collated and forwarded to the management for necessary action.

The activities of the Department are in line with the National Development Programmes, which are specially targeted at increasing per capita availability of water for all uses.