The Audit Service of Ghana has dismissed claims by the University Teachers Association of Ghana – University of Ghana Chapter (UTAG-UG) that the University was not engaged before the release of a special audit report which cited a payroll overstatement of GH¢59.2 million.
UTAG-UG had earlier held a press conference on May 20, rejecting the Audit Service’s “Special Audit Report on the Recoveries Made from Disallowed Expenditure in the Auditor-General’s Reports from 2020–2023 and Payroll Savings as at 31st December 2024.”
The association described the report as misleading and fraught with procedural and ethical lapses.
The audit report, which is publicly available on the Service’s website, had indicated that between 2022 and 2024, the University of Ghana overstated employee compensations by GH¢59.2 million.
But in a press release issued on Friday, May 23, the Audit Service described UTAG-UG’s assertions as “inappropriate and not grounded on facts.”
“The public should disregard such calls by the UTAG-UG and further assures the public that the Service audits according to internationally recognised standards,” the statement signed by Assistant Auditor-General Ama Awotwe-Bosumafi said in part.
The Service maintained that the University of Ghana management was fully engaged throughout the verification process.
“With reference to the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584), clearly provides for some form of engagement between the auditor and the audited organization. In the instance of this report, several such engagements took place between the auditor and University of Ghana Management,” the Service clarified.
It also pointed out that its reports are not intended to discredit any institution but to promote accountability and ensure savings to the state.
The Audit Service further explained that its payroll verification process is guided by Regulation 91(3) of the Public Financial Management Regulation 2019 (L.I. 2378), and that institutions like the University of Ghana are required to obtain financial clearance and go through proper certification before compensation payments are approved by the Ministry of Finance.
