Two officials of Northern Regional office of the National Sports Authority (NSA), are in hot waters for failing to pay GH¢57,729.025 of the Directorate’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF) into the designated Consolidated Fund Account, since 2021.
The Regional Director and Regional Accountant, who are to be arrested as directed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, have refused to deposit the amount, which represent 34 per cent of the GH¢169,791.25 generated that year by the office despite repeated orders from the Head Office of the NSA and recommendation by the Audit Service.
The two also failed to honouran invitation by the PAC to appear before it yesterday.
At Monday’s proceedings of the committee, Chairman of PAC, Dr James Klutse Avedzi, directed that the two officials should be arrested immediately by the police to help recover the amount.
He note that “after failing to deposit the money into the Consolidated Fund Account, they also refused to attend to an invitation by Parliament and you think we will allow you go free. Mr Minister take note and take action.”
Dr Avedzi questioned the Director-General of NSA, Professor Peter Twumasi, and the Chief Accountant, Kwaku Owusu Agyei, for not paying a working visit to the regional offices to enforce the directive.
Dr Avedzi directed Alexander Tieku, Central Regional Director of NSA, to immediately take up his new assignment in the Eastern Region after being transferred to the area more than a year ago.
The committee also advised Prof. Twumasi to avoid practices that undermine the authority of the Minister of Youth and Sports and recommended to the Auditor General to conduct a special audit of the NSA due to what it described as “lots of rot at the NSA.”
Quizzed on why the Head Office of NSA had not been able to order the Northern Regional Office to deposit the funds, Professor Twumasi, said in addition to official letters, he had through calls and texts directed the two officers to effect payment into the consolidated fund all to no avail.
“Mr Chairman, we have written letters to the officers in charge, but we got no response. They were to retain 66 per cent for the Directorate and lodge the rest in the Consolidated Account.”
Responding to questions about how the regional offices were supervised, Kwaku Owusu Agyei, Chief Accountant of NSA, said the offices were regularly directed to transfer the required share of IGF to the consolidated fund.
He said per information made available to him, the office had spent the money on goods and services without authorisation.
In a related development, the committee gave the Northern regional office one month to recover GH¢21,150.00 revenue, which was written off without the approval of the Minister of Finance.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS