Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has voiced his deep disappointment with Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu over a contentious payroll audit.
Assafuah argues that the audit’s timing and intent raise serious questions about the independence and objectivity of the Audit Service under Asiedu’s leadership.
“The timing and intent of this exercise raise fundamental questions about the independence and objectivity of the Audit Service under his leadership”.
Assafuah added “Mr. Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, for agreeing to embark on a payroll audit that appears to be not only premature but also politically targeted.
The Auditor-General has launched a comprehensive nationwide payroll audit targeting all entities on the Controller and Accountant-General’s payroll system, including subvented organizations.
The audit will examine the payroll records of Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and subvented bodies for the period spanning January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024. As part of the exercise, a full headcount of all government-paid staff will be conducted.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Auditor-General, all affected institutions have been urged to grant auditors full and unrestricted access to all relevant records
Assafuah believes the audit is not only premature but also appears to be politically motivated, targeting individuals employed by the previous administration who are perceived as politically exposed.
“The current audit, which seems to be designed as a tool to flush out individuals employed by the previous administration who are perceived to be politically exposed, lacks merit and undermines the principles of fairness and due process”
He suggests that the Auditor-General should have rejected this assignment outright, especially in light of ongoing mass terminations that are causing widespread anxiety among hardworking public servants.
The MP also criticizes the audit for duplicating existing mechanisms already in place to identify and eliminate ghost names from public sector payrolls.
“this so-called special audit duplicates an existing mechanism already set in motion by the previous administration. Under that initiative, Internal Auditors, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) have been conducting monthly reviews of public sector payrolls to identify and eliminate ghost names”, he emphasized.
According to Assafuah, the growing perception that the Auditor-General was compelled to undertake this exercise as a desperate attempt to retain his position.
He wrote “What is even more troubling is the growing perception that the Auditor-General was compelled to undertake this exercise merely as a desperate attempt to retain his position.
“If this is true, then it casts a dark shadow over the integrity of the entire operation and calls into question the autonomy of an office that is meant to serve as a pillar of accountability, not as an accessory to political expediency.”
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Mr. Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, for agreeing to embark on a payroll audit that appears to be not only premature but also politically targeted. The timing and intent of this exercise raise fundamental questions about the independence and objectivity of the Audit Service under his leadership.
The current audit, which seems to be designed as a tool to flush out individuals employed by the previous administration who are perceived to be politically exposed, lacks merit and undermines the principles of fairness and due process. Mr. Akuamoah Asiedu should have rejected this assignment outright, especially in the face of ongoing mass terminations that are creating anxiety among hardworking public servants.
What is even more troubling is the growing perception that the Auditor-General was compelled to undertake this exercise merely as a desperate attempt to retain his position. If this is true, then it casts a dark shadow over the integrity of the entire operation and calls into question the autonomy of an office that is meant to serve as a pillar of accountability, not as an accessory to political expediency.
More importantly, this so-called special audit duplicates an existing mechanism already set in motion by the previous administration. Under that initiative, Internal Auditors, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) have been conducting monthly reviews of public sector payrolls to identify and eliminate ghost names. There is absolutely no justification for this parallel exercise which only wastes state resources, burdens the already stretched staff of the Audit Service, and sends the wrong signals to civil and public servants across the country.
This audit must not be allowed to become a smokescreen for witch-hunting or a distraction from the more pressing national issues confronting Ghanaians like the exchange rate, ECG Missing containers, allegations of drug trafficking and money laundering? The Auditor-General’s core mandate is to protect the public purse, not to facilitate political cleansing.
Rather than pursuing this as a special operation, Mr. Akuamoah Asiedu should incorporate any necessary payroll reviews into the routine audit plans for the 2024/2025 audit year. That would preserve institutional credibility, ensure transparency, and maintain public confidence in the Audit Service.
The path of selective accountability is dangerous and must be resisted. We must protect our institutions from being used as tools for political convenience.”
Source : www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
