Governance Expert, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah says the various financial irregularities and infractions cited in the 2021 Auditor General’s report simply reflect serious weaknesses in the system.
Referencing the AG’s Report on Morning Starr on Starr 103.5 Fm, in relation to the payment of over GHc1m to ‘ghost staff’ at the Ministry of Finance, the governance expert argued: “We are poor in keeping records, and it’s either we do it deliberately to cover wrongdoing or we are just negligent.”
Prof. Agyemang Duah suggested that getting rid of the weaknesses in the financial management control systems in the public sector is a matter of policy decisions.
“We need strong leadership, very principled individuals who will have the country at heart” Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah told host Francis Abban.
The Auditor General has revealed that the Ministry of Finance (MoF) paid three persons a total of GH¢1,112,895.96 as salaries for the period January 2020 to December 2021 although they were not staff of the Ministry.
Per the audit report for the year, 2021 personal files and names of the three persons who received salaries for a year on the nominal roll of the Ministry could not be traced.
Source: Ghana/starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM