The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has issued a six-month deadline to Mr Ernest Owusu Achiaw, the Human Resource Manager of the Asunafo South Municipal Assembly in the Ahafo Region, to recover an amount of GH¢ 167,395.07.
The amount represents unearned salaries disbursed to eight employees of the Assembly last year.
The employees in question had left their positions over a year ago; however, Mr Owusu Achiaw continued to authorise their salary payments.
The 2023 Auditor General’s report indicates that some of these individuals did not report to work for periods ranging from three to six months, while others were absent for an entire year, yet they continued to receive their salaries.
Mr Owusu Achiaw told the Committee in Sunyani on Friday that the individuals in question departed while on leave, noting that the assembly’s clock-in machine malfunctioned, which hindered his ability to monitor their attendance.
However, the Committee dismissed his explanation.
The three-day Public Accounts Committee meetings in Sunyani are examining discrepancies highlighted in the 2023 Auditor General’s report for five regions.
Various public institutions, including technical universities, colleges of education, and senior high schools, presented themselves before the Committee to respond to inquiries directed at them.
The regions are Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Western North and Ashanti.
The chairman of the PAC, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, who presided over the session, accused Mr Owusu Achiaw of negligence in his responsibilities and subsequently instructed him to recover the specified amount.
Failure to do so, he said, would result in him being held accountable alongside the former Human Resource Manager of the assembly, Mr Oliver Opoku Yeboah, who has since been transferred to the Sekyere South Assembly in the Ashanti Region.
Additionally, it was revealed at the sitting that eight casual revenue collectors of the assembly are owed ten months’ worth of salary arrears, amounting to GH¢60,000.
Dr Avedzi granted the Coordinating Director of the assembly a two-month grace period to settle the outstanding payments to the affected staff and to report back to the committee.
The PAC chairman later in an interview with journalists indicated that timeous prosecution of persons cited in the Auditor General’s report would send the right message to reduce infractions being captured.
He observed that certain violations were being carried out intentionally, and that the conviction of those responsible would convey appropriate messages to the public.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH SUNYANI
