By Ashiadey Dotse
The University of Ghana branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-UG) has called for the immediate resignation of the Auditor-General, Mr. Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu. The call follows a recent audit report that claims the university overstated staff salaries by GH¢59.2 million from 2022 to 2024.
The report was part of a special payroll audit released by the Auditor-General’s office. But UTAG-UG says the findings are false and have damaged the reputation of the university and its staff.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday May 20, 2025, UTAG-UG General Secretary, Mr. Jerry Joe Harrison, described the report as misleading and unethical. He said the university was not given a chance to respond to the claims before the report was made public.
“It appears to us that the audit service is more interested in appearing to be working rather than doing the right thing, and in so doing, they ignore ethical standards that guides their profession” he stated.
He added that the failure to allow the university to clarify or respond to the report is a serious breach of professional conduct.
UTAG-UG says this behavior shows that the Auditor-General is not fit to hold office. The group is demanding that he resign immediately or face a formal petition to the President for his removal.
“We are calling for the resignation of the Auditor-General, or we will petition the President to have him removed,” Mr. Harrison said firmly.
Meanwhile, the University of Ghana management has responded to the Joy News report on the Auditor-General’s Special Audit Findings.
Below is the University’s official statement.
Management of the University of Ghana (UG) has taken notice of a publication by Anthony Manu, carried by Joy News on 16 May 2025 and headlined: “UG overstated its employee compensations by GH¢59.2m between 2022 and 2024 – Auditor General’s Report.” This publication has been accompanied by various artworks and summaries circulating on social media, which misleads the public and distorts the facts.
The University wishes to provide the following clarifications:
The reported figure of GH¢59.24 million that was supposedly disallowed is a gross exaggeration resulting from a misinterpretation of the University’s payroll structure. The University of Ghana (UG) operates a dual payroll structure comprising the Government of Ghana (GoG) payroll and the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) payroll. These are clearly separated in UG’s records and also well-delineated in the submissions to the Audit Service. IGF payroll reflects payments made from the University’s IGF to legitimately engaged staff, including faculty on post-retirement contracts, such as professors between the ages of sixty-five and seventy, for which Cabinet approval was granted.
These were not irregular or unaccounted expenditures (disallowance), but essential payments made transparently in accordance with public financial reporting standards. The IGF payroll is only included for audit purposes and not a request for payment from GoG and the Audit Service is fully aware of this, so they could not be ‘disallowed’.
In compliance with Section 48 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), UG disclosed all IGF collections and their utilisation as required of all covered entities. Unfortunately, the Special Audit Report did not acknowledge the distinction between the two payroll sources. Instead, it presented the figures as a single, aggregated total, creating a misleading impression of payroll overstatement.
Between August 2021 and 2024, a total of 887 staff exited the University through retirement, resignation, death and other forms of separation. During this same period, the only Government clearance the University received was to recruit only 102 new employees in 2024. Meanwhile, student enrolment steadily increased over the years, from 61,640 in 2021 to 68,126 in 2022, rising further to 76,136 in 2023, before recording 73,155 students in 2024. This required proactive staff recruitment measures, on the part of Management, even in the absence of government financial clearance, in order to maintain quality.
To maintain academic standards, operational continuity and industrial harmony, the University has adopted innovative financial and human resource strategies to engage critical personnel, including those on post-retirement contract, funded through IGF. These appointments were made in full compliance with institutional and national financial regulations.
The University fully complied with the Auditor-General’s audit processes by submitting both its GoG and IGF payrolls for review. However, the standard audit protocol, which requires that initial findings be communicated to the institution for clarification, was not followed. UG was not given the opportunity to provide context or submit relevant documentation before the final report was published.
It is important to reiterate that the GH¢59.24 million is not a loss or misapplication of public funds. It represents the cost of strategic staffing interventions aimed at sustaining teaching, research and administrative work at the University in the face of the University’s inability to recruit on government payroll, without financial clearance. These payments were necessary, transparent and responsibly managed through IGF. It indicates the University’s ingenuity to support the government’s financial provision for qualified human resources required for the quality provision of higher education.
The University of Ghana remains committed to transparency, accountability and adherence to all relevant national financial regulations. UG will continue to collaborate with the Auditor-General’s Department, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and other oversight bodies to enhance audit processes and institutional governance.
We also wish to stress that the ethics of journalism require journalists and media houses to seek the views of individuals or institutions named in news reports before publication. This ensures accuracy, balance and fairness in public discourse.
The University is disappointed in the failure of the reporter, Anthony Manu and Joy News to contact the University for its position, which has resulted in a publication that risks damaging the reputation of UG and creating public disaffection, based on an inaccurate narrative.
As Ghana’s premier University and the highest-ranked institution in West Africa, UG has become a frequent target of misleading and sensationalised media reportage. While we remain open to scrutiny, we urge all journalists and media houses to uphold the professional standards of their field and report with accuracy and integrity.
All media outlets and reporters are urged to conduct thorough research, verify facts and engage with the University officials before publishing stories, particularly on matters of public interest.
UG encourages the public to disregard the false narrative presented in the said report and to rely on verified, contextual information regarding the University’s operations.
The University remains firmly focused on its vision of achieving global impact through innovative research, teaching and learning. This is guided by a technology-driven and people-centred approach, as outlined in the 2024–2029 Strategic Plan. In particular, Strategic Priority 5 (SP5) commits UG to mobilising and managing resources sustainably through responsible stewardship and Management of the University is committed to leading the University to achieve this Strategic Priority.
Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, Registrar.
For further enquiries, please contact:
- Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, Registrar – 059 382 2671
- Prof. Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson, Deputy Director, Internal Audit Directorate – 024 474 9596
- Dr. Elizier Taiba Ameyaw-Buronyah, Director of Public Affairs – 0244807163
