The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Honorable James Klutse-Avedzi has ordered the Kadjebi District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to engage the Ghana Police and arrest the Former Head Teacher of Ahamansu LA Parishad Primary School, Mr. Krampah Patrick Wisdom for receiving GHc 72,759.32 unearned salary.

The Chairman of the Committee noted that Mr. Krampah Patrick Wisdom was paid Ghc 72,759.32 when he had already vacated his position.

According to Mr Avedzi the 2022 Auditor-General’s Report on the Accounts of Ghana Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies for the year ended 31st December 2022 revealed that Mr. Krampah Patrick Wisdom vacated his post on 1st February 2018 and joined Youth Employment Agency (YEA) as a Project Assistant.

He further noted that the Auditor General report stated that Management validated and paid salaries from February 2018 to June 2020 resulting in a total unearned salary of Ghc 72,759.32.

The Honorable Member of Parliament for Ketu North revealed that the Auditor-General in its report recommended that the Regional Education Director should ensure that the District Director of Education recovers the amount of Ghc 72,759.32 from Mr. Krampah Patrick Wisdom with interest at the prevailing Bank of Ghana rate and pay same into the Auditor-General’s Recoveries Account with the Bank of Ghana, in which the Auditor-General suggested that failure to retrieve the said amount from Mr Krampah should be recovered from the District Director of Education and the validators.

Honorable James Klutse Avedzi commenting on the issue stated that the action of the Former Head Teacher contravenes Regulation 92 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378) and hence Mr. Krampah Patrick Wisdom must be picked up by the Police.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Ghana Education Service, Dr. Eric Nkansah and the Deputy Minister of Education, Hon. Gifty Twum Ampofo led the various Education Directorates and Services to answer irregularities cited against them in the 2022 Auditor-General’s Report.

Most Public Health Institutions Cited For Breaching Procurement Laws

On the other hand, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Honorable James Klutse-Avedzi, stated that most of the Public Health Institutions have been procuring on their own without recourse to the procurement laws.

He was of the view that from his observation most of these Public Health Institutions go contrary to section 20 of the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act despite recommendations from the Auditor-General in every annual report to desist from such practice.

The Chairman of the Committee made this observation during the second day of the PAC sitting in Parliament House to consider the Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies for the year ended 31st December 2022.

The Committee invited the Ministry of Health led by the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, to answer several queries cited against the agencies and hospitals under the Ministry.

According to Mr Avedzi, the most common infractions cited in the Auditor-General’s Report 2022 include Non-payment of rent, non-competitive procurement, payment of unearned salaries, hire purchase of vehicles and unsupported Payments.

Some of the clinics and institutions that were cited in the report for uncompetitive procurement according to Mr Avedzi included Castle Clinic, Nurses Training College, Pantang, Princess Marie Louise Children Hospital, Accra Psychiatric Hospital, and National Blood Service among others.

The Director General of the Ghana Health Service was also advised by members of the Committee to recruit more procurement officers to help in procuring items for the various agencies by complying with the laws.