Govt ‘Dashes’ GH¢3bn To Staff’s who either abandoned their posts, went on retirement or died.

               Ken Ofori-Atta

 

THE AUDITOR-General (A-G) has revealed that a total of GH¢3,069,519.76 was paid as unearned salaries to some government workers who either abandoned their posts, went on retirement or died.

 

In his latest report on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) covering the period between 2017 to 2021, the A-G disclosed that the beneficiaries did not work for the salaries paid to them, explaining that salaries must be earned through work activities and not just paid for work not done.

 

Education Ministry

 

The report said at the Education Ministry, auditors noted that 88 staff who separated from their respective institutions were paid unearned salaries amounting to GH¢1,082,455.02, and recommended that the heads of these offices should recover it.

 

Immigration Service

 

The report indicated that contrary to Regulations 88 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378), the auditors discovered that the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service maintained three officers on the payroll, though records available showed they had resigned, resulting in the payment of unearned salary of GH¢99,843.64.

 

The report gave the names as Felix Christian Adom Nortey who was paid GH¢24,883.00; Muniratu Iddrisu, who was paid GH¢72,653.64; and Social Besseah who was paid GH¢2,307.00.

 

It recommended that the Comptroller-General be made to recover the GH¢99,843.64 from the officers involved or be surcharged.

 

Gaming Commission

 

At the Gaming Commission, the report pointed out that review of the payroll by auditors disclosed that GH¢3,414.05 was paid to Davina Mariama Salifu, who resigned from the Commission on October 1, 2020, but was paid unearned salary for October 2020 and November 2020.

 

Sunyani Agric Office

 

At the Bono Regional Agric Directorate, the auditors noted that between January 2019 and September 2021, four staff of the directorate who had separated, were validated for the period they were separated from the office thereby resulting in the payment of unearned salary of GH¢203,701.86.

 

The report named the beneficiaries as Haruna Margaret, who was paid GH¢23,449.65 after she retired on March 29, 2020; Gyamfi Philemon, who went on study leave without pay in September 2021, was paid GH¢7,274.46; C.T. Quist, who was paid GH¢142,856.94; and Samuel Owusu, who was paid GH¢30,120.81.

 

Obuasi Local Prison

 

At Obuasi Local Prison, the audit report noted that the officer-in-charge failed to “ensure the immediate stoppage of salary of the late Emmanuel Wanye, who died on March 31, 2020, but was validated for the months of April 2020 to June 2020, resulting in the payment of unearned salaries of GH¢5,169.33 to his account.”

 

Bibiani Fire Station

 

The report said contrary to Regulation 92 of Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378), an officer, Abdullah Issah, who died on February 2, 2020, was validated from February 2020 to June 2020, resulting in the payment of unearned salary of GH¢13,545.00.