FEICOM, CONSUPE count gains of five-year technical cooperation.

The gains were counted at the closing ceremony of the FEICOM-CONSUPE Technical Assistance Protocol, which the two sides agreed, had achieved its purpose. The protocol agreement was signed in 2019.

The signing of the protocol followed additional responsibility handed on FEICOM to manage and successfully deliver on the accelerated decentralisation process.

Through that additional responsibility, it was agreed that there was great need to ensure that the values of transparency, prudent financial management and governance by inclusion should be made the corners stones of local administration.

Therefore, the Supreme State Audit Office that possesses the expertise and has been officially empowered to build capacities in state institutions and agencies, took up the task of equipping FEICOM with the risks management know-how that would be transmitted to local collectivities.

In 2019, the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, was signed between the two institutions. 

The Director General of FEICOM, Camille Philippe Akoa, alluded that there was great need at the time to reinforce capacities in risk management both at the central administration and FEICOM agencies in the regions, but even more in the various decentralised collectivities made up of Regional and Local Councils.

But what are the actual gains?

According to the FEICOM Director General, Philippe Camille Akoa, at the end of the five-year technical assistance agreement with CONSUPE, there is now a functional and an effective internal audit control system at the headquarters and FEICOM regional agencies.

He said they are intensifying effort to make sure that internal audit control structures go functional in regional and local councils as well.

The DG then enumerated the five internal audit control instruments that are now functioning effectively at both the FEICOM head office and its regional agencies.

He also recalled how, after the MoU was signed, numerous sensitisation workshops were organised to educate staff at headquarters, regional agencies and some pilot decentralised collectivities which have led to a drastic reduction in acts of fraud.

Even more, the sensitisation workshops also helped to perfect and finetune the functioning of internal audit control systems in the said establishments. 

Camille Akoa gave much credit for the successes recorded to the joint ad hoc committee set up after the technical assistance agreement was signed incorporating high level and expert staff of both FEICOM and CONSUPE.

He cited the Yaounde I Council, as a pilot council from where all experiments were first tried before transferring the results to other councils and decentralised collectivities. 

Akoa, lauded the professionalism exhibited by both FEICOM and CONSUPE experts which he said contributed enormously in making the entire Technical Assistance Protocol a success story after five years.

Enter CONSUPE boss 

For the Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of the Supreme State Audit Office, CONSUPE, Mbah Acha Rose Fomundam, the fight against corruption and the inculcation of a culture of transparency, accountability and inclusive management in public finance remain at the heart of President Paul Biya’s vision.

Reason why, he [Biya] had given immense powers to CONSUPE to do all it can to sanitise the system. 

The Minister Delegate said what had been achieved at FEICOM demonstrates the commitment of the institution’s management to work towards making local collectivities a place where Cameroonians can live in comfort, enjoying peace and harmonious living together.

The Minister Delegate went on to hand over training certificates to staff of FEICOM and decentralised collectivities who undertook designated training programmes and came out successful.