Dental Council pleads for forgiveness over financial misappropriation

The Registrar of Ghana Medical and Dental Council, Dr. Tikpi, Monday, pleaded with the Public Accounts Committee for forgiveness, for not following laid down procedures in disbursement of funds.

He made the appeal when they were called before the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions on infractions sighted against them, in the Auditor General’s report for the year 2014.

His plea came when the Ranking Member on Public Accounts Committee and a Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa South, Kofi Okyere Agyakum, was questioning him as to why they used the Internally Generated Funds (IGF), in paying themselves salary advance whilst the law of Ghana did not permit them to do so.

Mr. Okyere Agyakum pushed further to find out why the council effected payments for repairing vehicles owned by the council without work-order.

In responding, Dr. Tikpi accepted wrong doing and promised that the council, will not repeat those errors and that they have put in measures to check future occurrence.

The behaviour of the Registrar made the chairman for Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, to ask why the council and other National institutions should not be punished for violating laid down procedures.

Dr. Tipki in response to the Chairman’s question said “to err is human,” but the Chairman who was not moved by the plea, expressed worry at the failure of state institutions to follow laws guiding their activities.