By: Abdul Razack Gbla
The Faculty of Accounting and Finance at the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), University of Sierra Leone, will tomorrow, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, host a major seminar aimed at promoting accountability and enhancing procurement integrity through the strategic role of internal audit.
The event, which will take place at IPAM’s main campus in Freetown, is expected to bring together prominent figures in the auditing and finance sectors, along with Honours students from the Applied Accounting programme. It is designed to bridge the knowledge gap between academic theory and the real-world demands of procurement oversight.
Themed “Enhancing Procurement Integrity: The Strategic Role of Internal Audit”, the seminar will feature keynote speaker Augustine J.J. Tommy, Deputy Executive Director of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA), who is expected to delve into the importance of internal audit in ensuring value for money and transparency in public procurement.
Other key speakers include Professor Ezekiel K. Duramany-Lakkoh, Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance; Melvina Deborah Williams, Assistant Director and Zonal Coordinator of the Internal Audit Directorate at the Ministry of Finance; Joe Thomas, Director of Finance and Investment at the Road Maintenance Fund Administration; and Allicious Kelvin Kamara, Head of Internal Audit at Access Bank.
The seminar will be hosted by Harry Samuels and co-hosted by Ambalieu Barrie.According to the organisers, the event is tailored to expose students to the full procurement lifecycle from bid initiation to contract execution and to demonstrate the critical role auditors play in ensuring that procurement practices are transparent, compliant, and aligned with national interest.
“Our primary aim is to ensure that students understand how procurement systems work in practice,” said one of the organisers. “We want them to see how auditors help protect public resources by ensuring that procurement officers act with integrity and professionalism.
The session is expected to be highly interactive, with students engaging directly with the speakers through panel discussions and Q&A segments.
