GNAT shows its teeth at CAGD and OSP on the “ghost names” probe

kingcyrusonline May 21, 2024

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The latest report citing “ghost names” has drawn criticism from the president of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) for the methodology used.

The government’s payroll administration was the subject of a joint investigation by the Controller & Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), with a focus on workers in the Northern Region. Rev. Isaac Owusu claims that neither the Education Ministry nor the Education Directorate were informed about the investigation’s conduct. The report’s conclusions were reached without following due process, according to Rev. Owusu, who spoke with Joy FM’s Emefa Apawu.

“This OSP issue was one of the cases we sent to the Labour Commission. And at the Labour Commission, the chief employer, which is the Director General of the Ghana Education Service and his sector Minister, Dr Yaw Adutwum, the commissioner asked them whether they were aware of the activity that the OSP was embarking on and they denied outright that they had no knowledge,” he said.

The OSP mentioned a primary school in the Ghana Education Service’s Kumbungu District in a press release dated May 20, however it turned out to be a complete fabrication.

“It was discovered that a primary school in the Kumbungu District of Ghana Education Service did not exist at all. Yet, this non-existent contrived entity was represented as staffed and the purported staff were being validated monthly and being paid salaries,” the OSP said.

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Additionally, some GH₵2.8m was discovered as unearned monthly salaries paid to ‘Ghost Names’.

“A staggering amount of GH₵2,854,144.80 was identified as unearned monthly salaries, attributed to individuals who were deceased, retired, no longer in their positions, flagged as missing, or whose whereabouts were unknown, commonly referred to as “Ghost Names.”

GNAT President took exception to these assertions. He wondered how these findings were possible when the OSP, per his analogy, did not go through the right procedure.

“If OSP had taken pains to visit the directorate, after the investigations if he had asked the director of Bunkrugu that I have seen school A, do you have this in your record, he didn’t do any of it. We are not saying he should go and seek permission but look, this blockade of salaries cuts across the country including teachers on study leave,” he added.

The statement added that the OSP and CAGD will extend the investigations to other regions soon.

The OSP’s report indicated that “By blocking these payments and removing the corresponding individuals from the Government Payroll, the Republic saved GHC34,249,737.60 for the 2024 financial year.”