The management of the Ghana School of Law recently found themselves in hot water as they appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament to address issues raised in the audited financial statements of the General Legal Council for the years ending December 31, 2022. The committee grilled them on various infractions, including procurement breaches, delays in building renovations, and failure to transfer revenue collections amounting to over GHC1.2 million into the Ghana Legal Council’s Bank of Ghana holding account.
One of the key issues raised during the hearing was the use of invoices for purchases not exceeding GHC5,000 to procure items totaling over GHC320,000. Director of the Ghana School of Law, Yaw Oppong, admitted to the breaches and justified the use of sole sourcing, as well as the decision to proceed with procurement without approval from the board of the Procurement Authority. Despite his plea for forgiveness due to inadvertence, the Chairman of the committee, James Klutse Avedzi, insisted that the managers must face prosecution for their actions.
In addition to the Ghana School of Law, other institutions such as the National Commission on Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority also appeared before the committee to address financial discrepancies. The National Commission on Culture was ordered to make a payment of GHC1 million to the Ghana Tourism Development Fund after misusing funds allocated for the 2019 National Festival of Arts and Culture in Koforidua. On the other hand, the Ghana Tourism Authority defended its expenditure for the Year of Return programs and outlined its projections for the current year, aiming to welcome 1.3 million tourists and generate over $3.8 billion in revenue.
The committee also scrutinized several other institutions under the ministries of Transport, Trade and Industry, Works and Housing, and Employment and Labour Relations. Concerns were raised about how heads of institutions managed debts, leading to legal debts that strain the national coffers. The Ghana Airports Company Limited, in particular, highlighted the challenges it faced due to delayed maintenance works and justified some of the losses incurred over the years.
Overall, the hearing shed light on various financial irregularities within government institutions and underscored the importance of accountability and transparency in public financial management. The committee’s rigorous questioning and demand for accountability serve as a reminder to all institutions to adhere to proper financial protocols and ensure the prudent use of public funds.
