Speaking before Parliament’s Local Government Committee, Ashanti Regional Minister Frank Amoakohene explained that the discrepancies largely stem from staff transfers and administrative delays.

He clarified that when officers are posted to new stations, their names sometimes remain in records of their former departments, causing validation issues between entities.

Dr. Amoakohene dismissed suggestions that the irregularities indicate ghost employees or double salaries. “Before you are paid your salary, we have to validate you to make sure that you belong to the entity where your name reflects and where you are serving,” he said.

He added, “If you are declared missing, it means your name is not found in the entity. However, you are working there. The negative is that you don’t get paid. If you are declared unknown, it means your name is on the payroll and you are expected to receive salary. But because you are not validated, owing to the fact that you don’t work there any longer, your salary will still not come unless you are validated at your new station.”

The Minister assured the committee that steps are being taken to strengthen staff validation processes and ensure a more reliable payroll system across the region.

The audit also revealed that several RCC vehicles were operating without valid roadworthy or insurance certificates, following incomplete handovers from the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.

Dr. Amoakohene said the issue emerged after the audit query, prompting letters to the Ministry to retrieve the missing documents and regularize the vehicles. “Definitely, we cannot be driving with vehicles without these certificates,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, Ejura Sekyedumase Municipal Chief Executive Rafiu Adam Seidu announced that sanitation contracts previously managed by Zoomlion Ghana Limited have been terminated due to poor supervision and delayed payments to sweepers.

Mr. Seidu explained that the sweeping work will now be handled by a local contractor, enabling closer monitoring and timely payment.

“With Zoomlion, monitoring the sweepers is a problem. It’s ineffective, and the payment system is very bad. Because of that, some come to work, some don’t. They owe so many people and can’t fulfill their obligations. By giving it to a local contractor, we can monitor them closely and ensure they are paid adequately to do their work well,” he said.

Drawing on his experience as both an assembly member and presiding member, Mr. Seidu said the move aims to address previous gaps and improve overall sanitation services in the municipality.

“We are going to build on their shortfalls and improve it. If we can correct those gaps, we can achieve better sanitation,” he added.

Source: Adomonline

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The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, acting on the orders of President Mahama, abruptly suspended the NSA’s Central Management System (CMS) on June 18 over integrity concerns, stalling this year’s national service postings.

“If the system were foolproof, we wouldn’t have had children under one year without a Ghana Card being on our payroll,” Acting Executive Director Ruth Dela Seddoh explained. “We had almost 1,000 kids under one year on our payroll, on our system.”

The official further revealed systemic failures: “But we were thinking that if the system were to be foolproof, the system would have detected that these people were minors. Because it is done, and it can be done. To the extent that the system can determine that these ones are below the age of 18, but that was not done.”

The audit also exposed that about 3,000 individuals over the age of 80 were receiving monthly allowances, even though the official exit years is 40.

“Meanwhile, the exit years for everybody is 40 years. So how come people above 40 years were found under the system?” she questioned.

Amid the revelations, the NSA has assured prospective service personnel that postings will be released on November 1, 2025.

“The transition team has been put in place and the framework for the new system has been set up… I can assure any prospective personnel to calm down, as by November 1, the posting will be done,” Acting Executive Director Ruth Dela Seddoh told JoyNews.

The scandal has triggered administrative shake-ups at the Authority, including the reassignment of former acting Director Felix Gyamfi to the Ministry of Finance.

With reforms underway, the NSA is now working to ensure future payrolls and postings are accurate, transparent, and free from discrepancies.

Source: Collins Frimpong

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Presenting the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 24, Dr. Forson said the Ghana Audit Service—commissioned by the Ministry of Finance—has completed 91% of the audit across all 16 regions.

“So far, the Audit Service has not been able to identify or verify over 14,000 workers,” he stated.

He added that 53,307 individuals who have either retired, been terminated, reassigned, gone on leave without pay, or passed away are still drawing salaries from the government payroll.

According to him, the Audit Service expects to recover at least GH¢150.4 million in unearned salaries paid to these separated staff during the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years.

Describing the revelations as “deeply troubling,” Dr. Forson stressed the need for strict enforcement of payroll controls to curb future financial losses.

“Going forward, we will enforce the monthly payroll validation system and apply sanctions to any person who violates the salary payment processes,” he cautioned.

The audit is part of the government’s broader efforts to clean up the public payroll and safeguard national resources.

Source: Adomonline.com

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