The Ghana Education Service (GES) has been directed by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to refund over GHC29,000 in wrongful salary payments made to two teachers in the Jirapa District.
The directive follows revelations in the Auditor-General’s report, which flagged multiple financial irregularities within the Service.
Appearing before PAC on Friday, August 22, 2025, GES officials, accompanied by Deputy Minister for Education Dr. Clement Apaak, acknowledged the infractions and assured the Committee that remedial measures are underway to recover lost funds and prevent future lapses.
The audit uncovered a range of violations, including the placement of officers on incorrect salary grades, payment of unearned salaries, and the continued disbursement of responsibility allowances to staff who did not perform any additional duties.
In the Jirapa case, PAC instructed GES to retrieve the funds within 30 days. However, officials disclosed that both teachers had left the country before the anomaly was detected, complicating recovery efforts.
“We stopped the payments immediately we discovered it and reported the matter to the police. We continue to make efforts to trace them, and I believe very soon we will recover the overpaid salaries,” — a GES district officer told the Committee.
Further scrutiny revealed similar issues in the Lambussie District, where eight staff members received responsibility allowances totaling GHC55,816 despite not being assigned any extra duties.
PAC also raised concerns over a case in Donkorkrom, Kwahu Afram Plains North District, where a teacher—who has no disability—received nearly GHC18,000 in disability transport allowances over a three-year period. When questioned, the district accountant admitted the teacher was unaware of how he had been categorized as “fiscally challenged.”
Responsibility for validating such allowances, the Committee was informed, lies with the head of the school and the SISU.
In response to the findings, Dr. Apaak and the GES Director-General pledged swift corrective action.
“These infractions will be addressed going forward,” — they assured.
The Auditor-General’s report has reignited calls for stronger oversight and accountability mechanisms within the GES to safeguard public funds and restore institutional integrity.
Credit: 3news.com
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