Officials of the Kumbungu District Directorate of Education have refuted allegations made by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Controller & Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) regarding a purported non-existent primary school in the district and the presence of “ghost names” on the Government of Ghana Payroll Administration.
In response to the findings that raised concerns about the existence of a primary school within the jurisdiction of the Ghana Education Service, the Directorate vehemently denies the allegations, asserting that all listed schools and staff members are legitimate entities actively operating in the district.
An officer from the Directorate told an Accra based radio station 3FM that the district comprises 89 kindergartens, 89 primary schools, and 33 junior high schools, all of which are fully functional.
Challenging the claims made in the investigative reports, the Education officials dared the OSP to disclose the name of the alleged non-existent school or affected staff members, challenging the accuracy and validity of the information presented.
Insisting that no staff members from the district were implicated in the investigations, they emphasized that any discrepancies identified during previous audits had been promptly addressed and rectified following internal reviews and corrections.
The OSP and CAGD report had flagged anomalies within the payroll system, citing instances where funds amounting to GHC2,854,144.80 were disbursed as unearned monthly salaries to individuals categorized as “Ghost Names.”
This included persons who had either passed away, retired, vacated their positions, or were untraceable, casting doubts on the integrity and efficiency of the payroll administration.
By Vincent Kubi