The Oyo state government has warned public/civil servants in the state to desist from all forms of fraudulent acts in the course of discharging their duties.
The state commissioner for Establishments and Training, Alhaji ‘Siju Lawal gave this warning while declaring open, a day workshop organized for accountants, auditors, revenue officers and medical record officers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state, held at the Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre on over the week at Ibadan.
Lawal said, the training was organized to curb various fraud risks and guard against financial loss.
In his address, Lawal said it is better not to be involved in any form of fraudulent act instead of thinking of how to prevent it.
He noted that frauds transcended beyond dealing with cash, adding that manipulation of documents, negotiation, falsification of record of service, among others are also fraudulent acts.
“To avoid been investigated by the State Anticorruption agency, you all should be upright in discharging your duties, fraud is not just about stealing or misappropriation of cash, it is also manifested in manipulation of records, falsification of record of service and other fraudulent acts, so beware,” he warned.
He advised them to uphold the moral acts of their professions and be upright in discharging their duties, stressing that they should always be conscious of the fact that, the Oyo state Anti corruption Agency (OYACA) has been beaming its searchlight on erring officers.
Delivering his paper titled “Fraud: Detection and Prevention in the Public/Civil, the Director Treasury, Office of the Accountant -General of the state, Mr Taiwo Ayanniyi (FCA) said fraud is all encompassing, as it always occur due to human nature and that effective detection is very essential, adding that violating a laid down principle by the authority, deceit or trickery to gain favour or benefit are defined as fraud.
In another paper, titled “Audit as a tool for prevention and Control of Fraud in the State Public/Civil service” the Director, Revenue Generation, Office of the Auditor -General of the state, Mr Ayobami Mustapha said that the major objective of audit in an organization is to detect fraud where it has been committed and most importantly to prevent it.
He said audit objectively examines, evaluates, verifies and reports on the adequacy or otherwise of the internal control as a contribution to the effective and efficient utilization of the organization’s resources.
The two speakers pointed out that internal auditing is very essential in all Government ministries, departments and agencies as it is the best way to control fraud.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Establishments and Training, Mrs Oluyemisi Adebusuyi, who was represented by the Director, Establishment Matters, Mr Paul Oyekunle said training and re-training of workers is pivotal to capacity development and it is an essential tools to reign in the affairs of life, stressing that the Ministry has taken it as a priority with the support of the amiable Governor, His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde.
He enjoined the participants to see the workshop as one of the essential tools to guide them in the course of discharging their duties as expected.
