Auditor General’s Report on audited accounts delayed due to COVID-19

The Auditor General has justified its inability in submitting the Report on the Audited Accounts of Government and the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as due to the impact of COVID-19 on the operations at its office.

Contained in a letter addressed to Parliament and read by the Speaker of Parliament, Mike Oquaye, it stated that copies of the letter has been duly copied to both the Majority and Minority Leadership, urging the House to take note.

“I have received a letter from the Auditor General which I refer appropriately to the two leaders, which refers to certain delays in audited accounts to Parliament, which has been a subject of some comments.

“It states in clear terms that the delays were not deliberate in any way or whatsoever. With the arrival of the Covid-19 several institutions including their office was adversely affected as known to the public and that the office will continue to fulfil its constitutional duties.”

Mike Oquaye

The House resumed sitting from recess on Tuesday, October 6, and is to sit for the next five weeks before it goes on recess again to engage in electioneering prior to the December 7 polls.

Hitherto, the Minority in Parliament had accused the Audit Service of breaching the law provided in the constitutions which states that the audit service has up until June to submit the 2019 report, of which the service has exceeded.

The minority then at a news conference explained the delay was an attempt by the Akufo-Addo administration to cover up corruption.

Minority Leader and MP for Tamale South, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, drew the attention of the Government to the constitutional requirement of the Auditor-General and the Audit Service to audit and submit to Parliament Reports on the Audited Accounts for the preceding year within six months after the end of a preceding year.

Justifying his position further with a recap of the constitution mandating the request, he stated that, “the Auditor-General shall within six months after the end of the immediate preceding year to which the accounts mentioned in clause (2) of this article relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall, in that report, draw the attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter, which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament.

Haruna Iddrisu said aside the above provisions of the Constitution and Act 586, the Auditor-General has failed to submit and publish his Reports, three months to the end of the financial year.

”The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which each of the accounts mentioned in this Part relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall, in the report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament.”

Haruna Iddrisu blame the situation on President Akufo-Addo’s decision to direct the AG, Daniel Domelevo to proceed on his accumulated leave.

“That is why you must understand when an overzealous President asks an Auditor General to go on leave, the consequence is that what he is required and obliged to do under the constitution – to submit the report on time to parliament – that constitutional right is held in breach”