Yaounde: Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa supreme audit institutions build capacities for greater output.

This was in Yaounde, during a two-day first joint annual meeting of the CREFIAF technical committees, which ended Thursday.

The opening ceremony, Wednesday August 21, was presided over by Cameroon’s Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Supreme State Audit, Mbah Acha Rose Fomundam.

This was in the presence of the First President of the Audit Court of Democratic Republic of Congo, Munganga Ngwaka Jimmy; the representative of the First President of the Audit Court of Gabon, Nguem Nathalie; representative of the First President of the Audit Court of Senegal, Dia Thierno Idrissa Arona.

Other top brass of Cameroon’s Supreme State Audit Office, CONSUPE, also attended the sub regional gathering. 

Speaking at the event, Minister Mbah Acha, who doubles as the President of the Executive of CREFIAF, said the meeting was aimed at taking stock of CREFIAF technical commissions’ 2019-2024 strategic plan and build capacity for greater output in the next strategic plan.

“In our association we have two technical commissions: technical commission in charge of professional capacity building and technical commission of institution-building and gender issues. These two commissions have been working since 2019 to 2024 on the strategic plan of CREFIAF and we are in 2024. Eight months ago, we were in the DRC and following the statistics we got, we realised that they have done a lot, but there is still more to be done,” she disclosed. 

The minister added that: “We are in the last year of the strategic plan and we believe that during this meeting, the technical committees will take into account all they have done, all that is left to be done and the challenges, and will brainstorm on solutions for the challenges. This is because they are the technical commissions that responsible for the wellbeing of our association. We are here to help and give them a push where necessary”.

Speaking on some of the challenges faced by the commissions, Minister Mbah Acha identified lack of finances as one of them, noting that “but we will see how to solve this as well as other difficulties. We know they will do a lot for the interest of our association”.

“They are in charge of professional capacity, they have to train people and provide them with certification that will serve as proof that they can do what they are tasked to do, and give them the professional skills needed to do their jobs,” she added.

Meanwhile, Minister Mbah Acha also disclosed that the meeting was also to look at issues of gender with supreme audit institutions. 

“D.R. Congo to gain a lot from meeting” 

On his part, the President of the Audit Court of DR Congo and also Acting President of CREFIAF, Munganga Ngwaka Jimmy, speaking to the press, said his institution, which was recently revived by the Gabonese president, will gain a lot from the capacity building meeting.

“The Audit Court of DRC, which was recently renovated by the Head of State in 2022, existed since 1987, but was not functioning. This court is in need of court clerks, to reinforce its capacity to better play its role in the DRC. We have put in place the necessary fundamentals to enable this court properly function,” he said. 

Munganga added that: “DRC started with Jurisdictional control. Authors of management errors are judged and for the first time since 1987 made our first arrests in matters of financial management errors”.

“That is why I personally took part in this event because, our commission has as mission to put in place tools and mechanisms to ensure that our bailiffs work well. I decided to be part of the commissions so that we can find solutions to the challenges we are facing,” he noted.

It should be noted that CREFIAF has as mission to contribute to the improvement and harmonisation of audit practices, methods and procedures in the public sector through the adoption of modern professional standards, the provision of integrated training and the exchange of experience and information.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3207 of Friday August 23, 2025