General Secretary of the University of Ghana (UG) chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Dr. Jerry Joe Harrison, has reiterated that the association will not relent in its demand for the Auditor General’s resignation.
This comes despite a formal clarification from the Audit Service indicating that its recent report was not meant to allege financial misconduct by the university but merely to outline savings and recoveries from routine checks.
Speaking on Campus Exclusive, Dr. Harrison stated that the association is giving the auditor general time to reflect, consult, and resign in good faith, emphasizing that the credibility of the Audit Service has been called into question.
“The statement from the Audit Service further vindicates our position as UTAG, and indeed, the standards have fallen,” he said. “If the basic standards of giving the initial report to the audited entity for them to verify, clarify, and validate are not followed, then the integrity of that document becomes circumstantial and imbalanced. Can you imagine what else is happening within that service? Do you think somebody can be presiding over that service for this poor standard to go on? Absolutely not!”
“And so, we are not backing down from our call for the Auditor General to resign honorably, because this is fundamental. If these are the standards Ghanaians are being served with, you can just imagine what is happening.”
Dr. Harrison added that UTAG will not hesitate to take further action if the Auditor General does not step down within a reasonable period.
“I do not think that his position as Auditor General is tenable under all these circumstances,” he asserted. “So as we have said, we are giving him enough time to consult, to reflect, and to resign honorably, because the service’s integrity has been brought into serious question. Should he fail to resign, we will not hesitate to do whatever we have to do to make the resignation happen.”
He further emphasized UTAG’s stake in the issue, explaining that the university’s inclusion in the audit report affects the image of the entire institution, not just its management.
“When you include the University of Ghana in the whole conversation, you are not tarnishing the image of the management of the University of Ghana. You are tarnishing the image of the whole university. As UTAG, we are key stakeholders in the university.”
Dr. Harrison also expressed concern about the specific claim in the report of a GH¢59.24 million overstatement in employee compensation, saying such misinformation could jeopardize the ability of UG lecturers to attract research funding.
“One thing that people fail to understand is that, as the University of Ghana and as lecturers, we receive research funds to conduct research, which comes with financial accountability,” he explained.
“A university where management can supposedly overstate employee compensation by GH¢59.2 million in a space of two to three years is not a university that funders would consider financially responsible. For the avoidance of doubt, let me put on record that UTAG members are directly affected by these false communications, and it jeopardizes their ability to obtain research funds. Funders become skeptical as to whether the university has the academic accountability mechanisms in place to ensure that research funds are not misused.”
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Story by: Nancy Kyeremeh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by: Cindy Selasi Humade