News:
July 7, 2021
It came to light when the Ministry of Education appeared before the Public Account Committee on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 that three officials at the Ministry’s Treasury including then Deputy Education Minister, Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh between 2014 and 2017 failed to hand over their official vehicles when they separated from the Ministry.
Also, ten new laptops could not be accounted for at Bechem District GES office, while at Adidome GES Office, two Mitsubishi Pick-Up vehicles were sold by auction for GHS 1,900 without any vital document to determine whether or not the vehicles should be sold and without inspection by the State Transport Company (STC).
There were also unsupported payments totaling GHS 432.800 uncovered at 16 District offices while tenants on the premises of two institutions defaulted in their rent payment ranging between 24 and 76 months to the tune of GHS 18,030.00.
The Report further noted that 43 separated staff were paid unearned salary of GHS 215,977.95 while 137 private schools operating within the Ga South Municipal Education Office defaulted in paying their license fees amounting to GHS 32,280.00.
In his remarks, the PAC Chairman James Klutse Avedzi said the Committee will submit its recommendations to the House and recommend sanctions for MDAs that failed to account for public funds and public officials that refused to account for public funds at their disposal for them to be shown the way out of office.
He said one of the major responsibilities of PAC is to hold the MDAs to account since whoever is given the responsibility and the trust of running any agency with public funds must be accountable to Parliament on behalf of the people.
The Committee, he emphasized, will insist that any public servant or civil servant that is given public funds for public good and has questions to answer and refuse to answer satisfactorily should have no business being in government.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com