Management of the newly established Federal Polytechnic, Ayede (FEDPA), Oyo state, has organized a three-day workshop for training and equipping staff with skills required for efficient utilisation of relevant technology and generating optimum results in financial management.

The training workshop which was organised for the Bursary Unit, held at the institution’s Iresa-Pupa temporary site, Ogbomoso last Friday was also aimed at entrenching professionalism and expertise on Public Financial Management Reforms (PFMR), using Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) application and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in accordance to the global standards in the accounting field

The bursar of Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Alhaja Rashidat Oladepo, further explained that the workshop became imperative due to the resoluteness of the Governing Council and the management to move the institution to a high pedestal.

Oladepo, while commending the Governing Council and the management of the citadel of learning for their support and cooperation so far, noted that her major interest was to ensure that bursary staff are conversant and compliant with global financial practices.

“I want to thank the Governing Council and the management, led by our amiable rector, Dr Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed, for their support towards putting the workshop in place. I am sure that the participants have moved beyond where they used to be and that they will never remain the same again.

“The training was meant to improve the manpower of the bursary department of our institution to enable the staff to appreciate the automated financial process and practice with global standards. I also want other staff, beyond bursary, to get acquainted with the process of accessing funds and presentation of financial related requisition”, she said.

The lead resource person at the workshop, who is the GIFMIS support coordinator for the South-West Ibadan zone including Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states under the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation), Mr Adekola Adegoke, in his remarks, stressed the significance of Information Technology (IT) in financial management activities.

Adegoke, who was assisted by the GIFMIS support officer in Oyo State, Mr Kola Jinad, explained that “The Federal Government took a decisive position to automate the paperwork with which government financial management activities were conducted over the years, leading to the reformation of public financial activities.

“The application of IT in financial management activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) led to the introduction of the application called GIFMIS (Government Integrated Financial Information System) by the Federal Government to enhance transparency and accountability in public expenditure”.

Speaking on the core areas of the workshop, he noted, “The workshop centred on the public financial process which included budget preparation skills, budget execution skills, accounting procedure/process skills, report preparation and generation skills, assets management and inventory management skills.

“The training was meant to fulfil the aspiration of the Federal Government in ensuring that our accounting system complies with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).”

The GIFMIS support coordinator lauded the trained staff for their commitment and enthusiasm which, according to him, they met up with 70 per cent appreciation of the content of the training.

Adegoke added that the actual test conducted after the three-day workshop suggested 90 per cent knowledge acquisition.

Also commenting, the Registrar, Mr Akin Odesola, charged the trainees to make the best use of the enormous wealth of knowledge gained to enhance efficiency in their work schedule and uplift the institution.

“We thank God for the opportunity of the workshop. We appreciate the Governing Council and the rector, Dr Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed and the management for the enablement and the bursar for the ingenuity of the initiative.

“We are so grateful to the resource persons for their painstaking delivery and all-time responsiveness”, he said.

The Polytechnic librarian, Dr Samuel Ogunniyi, thanked the resource persons for adding value to the bursary department of the institution, attesting that the staff have learnt a great deal.

“We encourage the staff to make use of the training and update their knowledge for overall contribution to the system. The workshop is a pointer to greater things to come especially as it affects other units in the Polytechnic”, he maintained.

Also at the event, which was attended by the institution’s director of Academic Planning, Dr Mutairu Akintunde and the Dean of the School of Environmental Technology and Director of Physical Planning, Dr Kolawole Morakinyo, the Personal Assistant to the Rector and Chairman of the institution’s Corporate Communications Committee (CCC), Mr Azeez Ojo, charged the trainees to maximise the benefits of the workshop for the institution as well as their promotions.