Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu
The University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-UG) has called for the immediate resignation of Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu following what it describes as a flawed and damaging audit report on the university’s finances.
At a press conference held in Accra, the association strongly rejected findings in the Auditor-General’s 2024 report, which alleged that the University of Ghana overstated staff compensation by GH¢59.2 million between 2022 and 2024.
The UTAG-UG Secretary, Dr. Jerry Joe Harrison, insisted the report is riddled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have tarnished the university’s image and demoralised staff.
“We find the conduct of the Auditor-General in this matter unacceptable, and we are demanding his immediate resignation,” he stated.
According to him, the report lacks merit, fails to reflect standard audit procedures, and appears to be motivated by ulterior motives rather than facts.
The association further argued that the Auditor-General failed to engage university management for clarification before finalising the report, resulting in misleading conclusions that have sparked public outrage and media scrutiny.
“This breach of due process has not only caused reputational damage to the university but has also created an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion within the academic community,” Dr. Harrison emphasised.
He maintained that the alleged overstatement of staff compensation is unfounded, noting that the figures cited in the report do not align with actual disbursements made to staff or the university’s audited accounts.
“The University of Ghana maintains that the audit report was not shared with them for them to make comments and clarify any discrepancies before this was made public. This is unfair and unethical. This is a serious breach of the ethics required of the audit service and the profession,” he stressed.
“This is not just a technical oversight. It is a grave error that has the potential to erode public confidence in state institutions,” UTAG-UG leadership added, calling on Parliament and the Board of the Ghana Audit Service to investigate the matter urgently.
“For the Auditor-General to sit in his office and preside over such an institution that disregards ethical standard practice, we are hereby calling for the resignation of the Auditor-General, or we will petition the President for him to be removed,” Dr. Harrison declared.
He again called for all persons involved in the audit to be held accountable according to the ethical principles of the profession, asserting, “We also want to state that the situation where auditing has been used as a tool to disallow payments of legitimate claims from sub-vented institutions must stop with immediate effect.”
The report indicated that from 2022 to 2024, the university submitted salary claims amounting to GH¢1.09 billion. However, after verification, the Auditor-General’s office approved only GH¢1.03 billion, uncovering an overstatement of GH¢59.24 million.
It also forms part of a wider review of financial recoveries stemming from recommendations in the Auditor-General’s reports from 2020 to 2023, including disallowances and payroll-related savings recorded up to December 31, 2024.
Shortly after the report was released, the UG’s Acting Deputy Internal Auditor, Prof. Samuel Simpson, dismissed the claims as misleading and lacking proper context.
By Ernest Kofi Adu