Auditor General petitioned to probe UEW VC, Finance Officer over GH¢5.7m honorarium

Two alumni of the University of Education, Winneba, have petitioned the Auditor General to probe the university’s Vice Chancellor, Reverend Father Professor A. Afful-Broni and Finance Officer for allegedly spending the sum of GH¢5,769,395.08 within six weeks as honorarium.

The petitioners Mr Dawda Eric and Mr Eric Dumenu Akatsi noted that the conduct of the two officers are “inimical and injurious to the University of Education, Winneba”.

The petitioners further contend that, since the university is a public institution, management of funds should be in tandem with the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) “absence of same should render any expenditure unlawful and criminal.”

The petition stated that: “The outrageous item of expenditure should be probed and any adverse findings thereof, the item of expenditure be disallowed pursuant to Article 187(7)(b)(ii) and officers found culpable surcharged in accordance with the dictates of the supreme law of Ghana.”

Below is the full petition:

TO: THE AUDITOR GENERAL
GHANA AUDIT SERVICE
REPUBLIC OF GHANA
HEADQUARTERS- ACCRA
OUR REF.NO.....................

Dear Sir,

A COMPLAINT AGAINST UEW VICE CHANCELLOR AND FINANCE OFFICER UNDER SECTION 1(d) Of THE WHISTLE BLOWERS ACT,2006(ACT 720)
...........................................................................................................................

University of Education Winneba is a public institution created by an Act of parliament [see Uew Act,2004(Act 672]. The supreme mandate(s) of your office as underpinned in article 187(2) of the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana as well as the Audit Service Act,2000(Act 584) extends to the management of it funds.

The above is the basis upon which we are mounting this complaint against the Vice Chancellor and the finance officer before your high office for a serious investigation into a whooping sum of GHS5,769,395.08 both are on record to have authorized as spending’s within six weeks as honorarium and others.

The two are responsible for the financial integrity of UEW pursuant to statute 6(d) and 10(b) respectively and for that matter, are accountable as principal spending officers for any item of expenditure incurred by the University. It is against this backdrop that, these officers are dragged before you to look into their conduct as authorizers of the very amount we are complaining about.

We respectfully consider their conduct in line of the above as inimical and injurious to the university of Education, Winneba

Sir, we are alumnus of this noble institution and having been fortified with the expression by the supreme court which described your office as a "custodian and protector of the public purse[ see OCCUPY GHANA V ATTORNEY GENERAL( unreported, writ no.J1/19/2016)], we deem it as a necessity to activate your powers to probe the item of expenditure authorised by the UEW Vice Chancellor and the Finance Officer.

It is in our considered opinion that, the said item of expenditure borders on clear mismanagement and unlawful abuse of public funds which will not inure to the benefits of the citizens of the Republic of Ghana whose taxes are used to run the affairs of the University. Bearing in mind the difficulty the institution faces particularly on infrastructure; such amount could have been spent on capital expenditure to augment academic enrolment.

We further contend that, since the university is a public institution, management of funds should be in tandem with the Public Financial Management Act,2016(Act 921). Absence of same should render any expenditure unlawful and criminal.

We respectfully submit that, the outrageous item of expenditure should be probed and any adverse findings thereof, the item of expenditure be disallowed pursuant to Article 187(7)(b)(ii) and officers found culpable surcharged in accordance with the dictates of the supreme law of Ghana.

It is our hope that, this complaint would receive the needed urgency and consideration it deserves for safeguarding the public purse against any form of looting, plundering and spinning.

Find Attached to this complaint a table which contains the breakdown of the above items of expenditure with its accompanying correspondence and annexed thereto is GCB Bank statement.

Thank You
Yours in the service of God and Country

..................................
(PETITIONERS)

DAWDA ERIC
dawdaeric26@gmail.com

ERIC DUMENU AKATSI
miracleeric95@gmail.com

CC: ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE

THE PRESIDENT, REPUBLIC OF GHANA

MINISTER OF EDUCATION.