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¢17.4bn in financial irregularities recorded in 2021 – Auditor-General
A total of ¢17.4 billion in financial irregularities have been flagged by the Auditor-General in its latest report submitted to parliament for the 2021 financial year.
This represents a 36% rise compared to that of 2020. This is the conclusion reached by the Auditor-General after an audit of the accounts of at least 101 institutions.
Similar audit reports conducted on institutions in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 show irregularities to the tune of GH₵ 12 billion, GH₵3 billion, GH₵ 5.4 billion, GH₵ 12.8 billion respectively.
The GH₵ 4.6 billion increase for the year 2021 is blamed mainly on credit power sales of GH¢6 billion involving Volta River Authority and Northern Electricity Development Company (NEDCO).
“This was occasioned mainly by credit power sales of GH¢6,043,083,274.01 to VRA and NEDCo customers. We recommended strict implementation of our recommendations to ensure financial discipline in the management of public resources”, the audit report stated.
This comprises the sale of power to mines, ministries, departments and agencies and government’s Covid-19 relief program.
Failure by management to document agreements covering some of these transactions as well as following through to recover the monies have been cited as the reasons for the situation, per the report.
The Auditor General wants the two power sector players to step up efforts to recover these monies.
The report cites the Covid-19 National Trust Fund for failing to account for an amount of GH¢254,203.00 spent on the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This was money paid to the Covid-19 Private Sector Fund for the Procurement “On the contrary, our vouching disclosed that out of GH¢10,257,360 paid via payment voucher number 0590507 dated 16 June 2020 to Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund, a private organization for the procurement of Medical Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), only GH¢10,003,157 had been accounted for with an outstanding amount of GH¢254,203.00 not accounted for as at 31 December 2020.”
Source; www.myjoyonline.com
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Manhyia would serve as Ghana’s unifying force …Otumfuo assures on commemoration of 27 years on the Golden Stool
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, last Friday celebrated his 27th enstoolment with a colourful and culture-rich ceremony at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, drawing a distinguished gathering of dignitaries from across Ghana and beyond.
Clad in splendid kente and adorned in rich traditional regalia, the dignitaries added colour and elegance to the occasion, as the palace grounds came alive with a vibrant display of Ghanaian culture.
Traditional drumming, dancing and symbolic rites underscored the deep-rooted heritage of the Ashanti Kingdom, captivating guests and reaffirming the value of tradition in modern society.
Speaking at a high-level Executive Gala organised by the Diaspora Affairs Office of the Office of the President in strategic partnership with the E ON 3 Group, the ‘World-Meets-in-Ghana’ gala, the Asantehene urged Ghanaians to guard against the divisive tendencies of partisan politics.
The event was to honour the Asantehene’s nearly three-decade reign under the theme ‘Advancing Peace and Sustainable Economic Development through Royal Vision’.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II noted that such attitudes threatened the country’s long-standing values of unity, civility and brotherliness.
He assured that Manhyia would continue to serve as a unifying force for the nation.
The celebration also featured the presentation of commemorative gold coins to notable national leaders, including the President, John Dramani Mahama, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as well as Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, a former Vice President in recognition of their contributions to peace and national development.
By Spectator Reporter
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Energy Minister announces full restoration of power generation units after major grid disruption
Energy Minister, John Jinapor has announced that all power generation units affected by the recent national grid disruption have been fully restored and are back in service.
According to the Minister on social media, engineers, technicians and emergency response teams worked continuously to restore electricity supply and stabilise the national grid after the incident caused major challenges within the power sector.
In a statement, the Minister praised the efforts of personnel from the Ghana Grid Company Limited, Volta River Authority and Electricity Company of Ghana for their commitment and coordination during the emergency.
“Mission accomplished. All generation units are now back in service,” the Minister stated.
He explained that despite the scale of the disruption, technical teams worked around the clock to restore power and secure stability within the system.
“Through their tireless work, discipline, and commitment to country, power has been restored and system stability secured,” he said.
The Minister further expressed appreciation to the leadership and staff of GRIDCo, VRA, ECG and other supporting agencies for their collective response to the crisis.
According to him, the successful restoration of the system demonstrates the resilience and capability of Ghanaian professionals in times of national difficulty.
“This moment shows that even under pressure, Ghana can rely on the strength and skill of its people,” he added.
The Minister offered prayers for the country’s energy sector and the engineers who led the restoration efforts.
“May God bless our engineers, our energy sector, and our nation,” he stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
