Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, a seasoned good governance advocate, has issued a passionate and forceful call for accountability over financial irregularities uncovered in the latest Auditor-General’s report—particularly in relation to transactions between the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and technology firm Hubtel.
The Democracy and Development Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) expressed deep concern over what he described as a dangerous national mindset that trivialises serious financial mismanagement by drawing false comfort from the notion that “no money was stolen.”
“Let us be clear: irregularities mean broken systems, wasted resources, and often conceal deeper rot like fraud, financial crimes, and mismanagement.”
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, D&D Fellow at CDD-Ghana
His concerns are grounded in damning findings from the 2024 Auditor-General’s Report. A key example cited is the case involving ECG and Hubtel, which, according to the report, is riddled with procurement breaches, opaque financial transactions, and a troubling absence of basic accountability mechanisms.
In 2022, ECG reportedly paid ₵75 million to Hubtel as part of a service arrangement to collect ECG revenues. However, no contract was made available to the auditors during the review period.
Matters became more problematic in 2024 when ECG signed a five-year contract with Hubtel, backdated to January 2023. This retroactive contract lacked the legally required approval from the Public Procurement Authority.
Further scrutiny of the deal revealed that Hubtel had deducted ₵149 million from the ₵10.3 billion it collected on ECG’s behalf in 2023.
These deductions, assumed to be based on a 1.5% commission, were made before the revenues were transferred to ECG. However, no monthly billing statements or documentary justification were provided to support the deductions—creating a significant transparency gap.
Moreover, ECG is said to have agreed to pay Hubtel ₵101.1 million for services rendered between November 2022 and December 2023. Again, auditors found no breakdown or explanation for this amount, which has now been labelled as “legacy debt” by ECG.
Calls for Action
In response, the Auditor-General recommended stringent measures, including sanctions against ECG officials for violating procurement laws, cancellation of the ₵101 million legacy payment unless adequately justified, and a directive that all revenues be paid in full before commissions are deducted.
The report also called for full adherence to procurement rules in all future transactions. But for Professor Asare, these irregularities go far beyond administrative errors or bureaucratic oversights.
“Yaanom may want to downplay such findings, but the numbers don’t lie. When ₵101 million is claimed without explanation, ₵149 million is deducted without documentation, and procurement rules are bypassed with impunity, we’re only being charitable by calling these ‘irregularities’.”
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, D&D Fellow at CDD-Ghana
In his view, the ECG-Hubtel arrangement is a textbook case of procurement breaches, financial crimes, gross mismanagement of public funds, and willfully causing financial loss to the state.
Professor Asare’s broader concern is the culture of normalising irregularities in public financial management.
“Irregularities are not innocent mistakes. They break laws, drain funds, erode trust, and embolden impunity. If you don’t see the danger, you shouldn’t be anywhere near public office.”
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, D&D Fellow at CDD-Ghana
No Tolerance for Mismanagement of Public Funds
He warned that Ghana cannot afford to tolerate the continued mismanagement of public funds, citing the staggering ₵18.4 billion flagged as irregularities in the latest audit cycle.
For him, each cedi lost to incompetence or corruption represents a missed opportunity for development and an attack on the public interest.
“Let’s stop treating irregularities like an Adowa dance where missteps are part of the rhythm. When procurement rules are broken, billions vanish without explanation, and contracts are signed in reverse, we’re not performing culture; we’re digging our own financial graves.”
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, D&D Fellow at CDD-Ghana
He concluded his remarks with a clarion call for accountability: “These are not matters to gloss over; they demand accountability.”
Professor Asare’s intervention contributes to growing calls from civil society and governance experts for stricter enforcement of public financial management laws, particularly in an era where digital revenue collection and public-private partnerships are on the rise.
His statement not only challenges the government and oversight institutions to act but also underscores the importance of public vigilance in protecting the national purse.
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