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Mahama calls for stronger internal audit systems to reduce misuse of public funds
President John Mahama has called for a stronger and more effective internal audit system across public institutions.
He made the call at the opening of the Annual Conference of the African Association of Accountants General.
He explained that Ghana has two key audit bodies: the Internal Audit Agency and the Auditor General’s Department.
According to him, the Auditor General steps in at the end of every year to audit state institutions and often uncovers cases of misused funds, wrongful procurement processes and other financial breaches.
President Mahama questioned why these problems continue to appear every year despite the presence of internal auditors in every government department.
He asked how internal audits fail to detect these issues early enough before they end up on the Auditor General’s list of irregularities.
He noted that it is important for the country to take a closer look at how internal audit units operate and find ways to strengthen them.
He stressed that improving internal audits will help prevent the yearly cycle of financial mismanagement reports that damage public trust.
President Mahama encouraged public institutions to work together to build a more reliable system that identifies risks early and promotes accountability throughout the year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
