Over GH¢600,000 allocated to 63 ‘ghost names’ at GES, others – Auditor-General report.

• The 2020 Auditor-General report has revealed some misappropriation of government funds

• Over GHC600,000 has been paid as unearned salaries to some 63 persons of various institutions under the Ministry of Education

• The Auditor-General has requested the heads of institutions to collect the monies paid into these accounts

It has emerged that over six hundred thousand Ghana Cedis was paid to the accounts of 63 staff of various institutions under the Ministry of Education, the 2020 Auditor-General report has revealed.

The report, released in June gives a breakdown of how funds disbursed to the various government institutions and ministries have been used.

Divided into two parts, the Auditor-General projects the findings and recommendations in the report.

According to the report, the 63 workers who seemed to no longer be with the respective institutions were still being allocated salaries for no apparent work done which totaled GH¢601,282.10.

The institutions included Ghana Library Authority, Ghana Education Service, M/J JHS and Non-Formal Education Division.

The offices responsible for these actions are located in seven regions in the country namely Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Oti, Ahafo, Bono and Upper East.

Below is the report as submitted by the Auditor-General and discussed on GhanaWeb’s The Lowdown:

Findings: The auditor-general’s review of the payroll administration of the Ministry of Education showed lack of responsiveness of some Heads in ensuring the deletion of names of separated staff from the payroll.

63 staff who separated from their respective institutions were paid unearned salaries amounting to GH¢601,282.10

The Institutions: Ghana Library Authority, GES, M/J JHS and Non-Formal Education Division.

Recommendation: The heads of these offices are to recover the total unearned salaries of GH¢601,282.10 from the beneficiaries.

Failure to do that means the amount will be recovered from the Heads, Institutions and their validators.