Youth Employment Agency (YEA)
New authorities at the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) say they have discovered a total of about 3,000 ghost names on the Agency’s payroll which was handed over to them by the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
As a result, the Agency has indefinitely suspended the payments of allowances to all beneficiaries of YEA.
According to a statement issued by the Agency, a preliminary audit on the payroll revealed the following: “Some beneficiaries using the same E-zwich numbers; 2,999 beneficiaries not at post but continue to draw allowances; payments made to some beneficiaries for no work done; non-payment of some beneficiaries since May 2016 leading to huge arrears; some beneficiaries working without appointment and assumption of duty letters.”
It continued, “This preliminary audit by management has saved the agency and the Ghanaian taxpayer, one million, sixty-seven thousand and seven hundred Ghana cedis (GH¢1,067,700) per month.”
The statement indicated that “on the basis of these findings, management has commissioned the Internal Audit Agency to conduct a special audit into the operations of the Agency.”
It pointed out that “this has become necessary in order to provide a platform for the new administration to take measures to prevent the scandals that rocked the agency in the past.”
Kwabena Beechem was the CEO of YEA under former President John Dramani Mahama whose administration was notorious for undertaking corrupt schemes.
“By this communication, management appeals to beneficiaries to remain calm as we work to complete the validation process,” according to the statement.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” YEA concluded in the statement signed by its Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Operations, Bashiru Ibrahim.
By Melvin Tarlue