Over Seven Lecturers of Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University have been directed by the Auditor General Department in their 2021 Report to Refund the tune of 171,008.85 to the State.
This was captured in Report of the Auditor General on the Public Accounts of Ghana in reference to Technical Universities for the Year Ended 31st December 2020.
Report
MANAGEMENT ISSUES
Staff on Study Leave receiving unapproved allowances GHC171,008.85
475. Regulation 78 of Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L. I.
2378) states that, a Principal Spending Officer shall be personally responsible
for ensuring in respect of each payment of the covered entity, the validity, accuracy, evidence of services received and the legality of the claim for the payment.
476. The University’s conditions for granting study leave with pay also
require among others that, the following allowances, (whichever is applicable
to the beneficiary) maintenance, responsibility, entertainment, and other allowances as determined by the university shall not be paid.
477. Our examination of the personal and validated salary records disclosed
that eight (8) staff of the University who were granted study leave to pursue various programs at different universities either in Ghana or abroad were receiving salary related allowances as if they were at post. Details are shown in Table 61.
Table Below
478. Consequently, the state lost the sum of GH¢171,008.85 to the eight (8)
officers named in Table 3 above.
479. We recommended to Management to retrieve the amount of
GH¢ 171,008.85 from the beneficiaries and pay same to the Consolidated
Fund and evidence provided for audit inspection, failing which Management
should refund the amount.
480. Management stated it would take steps to recover the unearned
allowances and pay same to chest.
Source: Upperwestmedia.net