THE SIDE EFFECTS & THE ALLEGORY

In the quiet corridors of corporate power, where decisions shape destinies and numbers never lie, the internal auditor walks a tightrope. Neither fully welcomed nor wholly rejected, they are the whisperers of risk, the sentinels of compliance, and the proverbial canary in the coal mine. Their presence may cause discomfort, but their absence is far more perilous. As the African proverb goes, “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” And so, too, does unchecked risk.

Let us consider the story of an internal auditor named Ojo, a man who believed that integrity was not just a word but a compass. He was brought into a mid-sized tech firm, ostensibly to “add value,” though many saw him as an unwanted watchdog, a necessary evil at best. Ojo had heard it all before—”the cost of compliance,” “the red tape,” and his personal favorite, “We’ve always done it this way.”

In his first month, he discovered that the procurement team often bypassed vendor due diligence, awarding contracts with a nod and a wink rather than a paper trail. When he raised the red flag, management told him to “let sleeping dogs lie.” But he knew better— a stitch in time saves nine, and every overlooked control was a seed for future scandal.

Internal auditors often face what I call “the side effects”—a series of unintended consequences that accompany the honest execution of their duties. These side effects are not written in job descriptions, nor do they appear in annual reports. Yet they are as real as the ticking clock in a fraudulent timesheet.

The side effects of being an internal auditor can be multifarious but let’s just isolate a few.

The first is isolation. When the truth starts to sting, the bearer becomes a pariah. No one likes the town crier when the news is bad. Friends become acquaintances, meetings are held without invitations, and once-friendly faces avoid eye contact in the hallway. But the wise auditor knows: he who wants to eat honey must brave the bees.

Second, comes resistance. Change, even for the better, often meets with opposition. Risk registers and control frameworks are greeted with rolled eyes and sighs of bureaucracy. But risk is a shadow; ignore it, and it grows longer. The internal auditor, like a farmer tilling rocky soil, must persist. You can’t plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

Third, there’s reputation risk —not for the company, but for the auditor. The irony is profound: the same people who ignore warnings will later ask, “Where were the auditors?” And like Cassandra of Troy, auditors often speak truths no one wants to hear—until it’s too late. Yet as the saying goes, “If you speak the truth, have one foot in the stirrup.”

The Chief Internal Verifier, Ojo, pressed on. He automated procurement reviews, introduced whistleblower channels, and streamlined risk assessments. It was a thankless work, but as the cracks began to close and financial waste was curbed, something shifted. The CEO, once sceptical, now invited him to strategic meetings. A board member told him, “We sleep better at night knowing you’re here.” And though his circle of friends within the company remained small, the respect he earned was solid as granite.

What can we learn from Ojo’s journey?

1. Courage is the internal auditor’s currency. Without it, objectivity becomes lip service.
2. Proactivity beats reactivity. Waiting for fraud or crisis to strike before acting is like locking the stable after the horse has bolted.
3. Communication is your shield. Telling truth to power is not just about facts; it’s about clarity, tact, and timing.
4. Your value is not always visible. But like the roots of a tree, your presence sustains the structure above.

The internal auditor’s allegory is not a tale of glory, but of grit. It is the story of the one who shines light in corners others would rather ignore. As the Chinese proverb says, “A wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it.” So must the internal auditor blend firmness with finesse, vigilance with value.

For in the end, the internal auditor may not be the hero the company wanted, but they are the guardian it sorely needed. Let us not forget: When the axe came into the forest, the trees said, ‘The handle is one of us.’ In the same way, unchecked internal processes can bring about a company’s fall from within. The internal auditor sees it first—and, if allowed, helps prevent it.

And that is both the burden and the beauty of the side effects.

Omoniyi Mafikuyomi, –Practices Internal Audit in Nigeria