Tensions are mounting between the University of Ghana and the Office of the Auditor-General following allegations that the university overstated employee compensation by over GH¢59 million between 2022 and 2024.
At a press conference held on Tuesday, May 20, the University of Ghana Chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-UG) called for the immediate resignation of Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, accusing him of professional misconduct in the release of the controversial audit report.
Dr. Jerry Joe Harrison, UTAG-UG Secretary, vehemently criticized the report’s findings and process, stating that the university was not given an opportunity to review or respond to the initial audit before it was made public, a move he described as “a serious breach of ethical standards.”
“For such a basic ethical ethos to be ignored clearly smacks of incompetence and/or mischief. We therefore call for the Auditor-General to resign honourably, or we will petition the President for his removal.” Dr. Harrison said.
He further demanded that all individuals involved in the report face disciplinary action in line with professional auditing ethics.
The Auditor-General’s report claims that UG submitted payroll claims totaling GH¢1.09 billion, of which GH¢1.03 billion was verified and approved, leaving an alleged overstatement of GH¢59.2 million. But UG has pushed back hard, insisting that the discrepancy arises from legitimate use of internally generated funds (IGF) to hire additional staff not covered under government payroll.
Prof. Samuel Simpson, the university’s Acting Deputy Internal Auditor, dismissed the report as misleading. “There are processes and engagements behind these figures that the Auditor-General’s report fails to capture. To suggest the university overstated employee compensation is simply incorrect,” he stated
He explained that the university often supplements government payroll allocations using its own IGF in order to maintain academic quality. “If the government pays for two staff but we need five to teach effectively, we use IGF to pay the difference. That’s not payroll fraud,” he added.
Prof. Simpson assured that all expenditures were well documented and that a formal response from university management would soon follow.
UTAG-UG also warned against what it sees as a growing trend of audit reports being used to delay or deny legitimate financial claims by public institutions. “This must stop with immediate effect,” Dr. Harrison said.
As the controversy unfolds, stakeholders in academia and governance will be watching closely to see whether the Auditor-General responds to mounting pressure or if the matter escalates to presidential intervention.
