The University of Ghana (UG) has debunked claims of irregularities in the Auditor-General’s recent payroll audit report.
The report indicated that the university overstated employee compensation by GH¢59.2 million.
Speaking on behalf of university management, UG’s Acting Deputy Internal Auditor, Prof. Samuel Simpson, dismissed the claims as misleading and lacking proper context.
In an interview, he explained that “the numbers alone don’t tell the full story.”
“There are processes and engagements behind these figures that the Auditor-General’s report fails to capture. To suggest the university overstated employee compensation is simply incorrect.”
The university maintains that what auditors flagged as “overstatements” were actually legitimate uses of internally generated funds (IGF) to supplement government payroll allocations.
Prof. Simpson provided this example: “Let’s say, if government of Ghana decides to say that, look, I can pay for two staff of the University of Ghana, but the University of Ghana needs, let’s say, five staff to teach so they can give quality to our clients, that is, students.”
“There are processes and engagements behind these figures that the Auditor-General’s report fails to capture. To suggest the university overstated employee compensation is simply incorrect.”
The university maintains that what auditors flagged as “overstatements” were actually legitimate uses of internally generated funds (IGF) to supplement government payroll allocations.
Prof. Simpson provided this example: “Let’s say, if government of Ghana decides to say that, look, I can pay for two staff of the University of Ghana, but the University of Ghana needs, let’s say, five staff to teach so they can give quality to our clients, that is, students.” Prof. Simpson added that UG management will release an official statement regarding this position soon.
Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s report covers broader financial recoveries based on recommendations from 2020 to 2023 reports, including disallowances and payroll savings up to December 31, 2024.
Overall, the Auditor-General flagged GH¢38.9 billion for recovery, but only GH¢12.7 billion, about 32.6%, has been retrieved.
