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Prez Mahama calls for bold decentralization of Accountant-General’s Department to curb payroll fraud
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President John Mahama has called for bold steps to decentralize the Accountant-General’s Department, arguing that the current centralized system allows ghost names and other payroll irregularities to persist.
He made the remarks while addressing participants at the Annual Conference of the African Association of Accountants-General.
He explained that the Accountant-General currently manages the salaries of workers across the country, including teachers and nurses stationed in remote districts.
According to him, the long bureaucratic process involved in reporting absentee workers creates loopholes that allow some people to continue receiving salaries even when they are no longer at post.
President Mahama cited an example from the Auditor-General’s recent report, where a deceased government employee continued to receive a salary for 36 months, even though officials of the institution attended his funeral.
He said such cases demonstrate the urgent need to decentralize payroll administration.
He added that delays in reporting absenteeism from the district level to the regional office, then to the ministry, and finally to the Accountant-General, make it possible for salaries to keep going into the accounts of individuals who have deserted their posts.
These issues, he noted, are flagged every year by the Auditor-General as cases of financial loss to the state.
President Mahama argued that the bulk of public-sector workers, teachers and nurses, operate at the district level, so it makes sense to process their salaries closer to where they work.
He suggested establishing district treasuries to handle payroll, saying this would make it easier to confirm whether workers are truly at post.
He questioned the effectiveness of the current validation system, where workers are required to confirm their presence on the job every month.
He said validation often becomes a routine process without proper checks, allowing “ghost names” to reappear on the payroll even after attempts to remove them.
President Mahama stressed the need for a stronger, more accountable payroll structure, warning that without decisive action, the country will continue to lose money through avoidable irregularities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A Prophet and General Overseer of Jesus Prayer Ministry at Ejisu Asuasi, Kumasi, and Pig Farm, Accra, Rt. Rev. Dr Mrs Grace Frimpong-Boateng, has urged Ghanaians to pray fervently to avert any disaster that would endanger many.
“God hears prayers, and intercessory prayers will provide your family safety and protection so you can live long and enjoy life in this world,” she added.
Rt. Rev. Dr Mrs Frimpong-Boateng was speaking with The Spectator in an interview last week.
According to her, she had a revelation that there would be a tragedy that will harm many people, however, effective prayers can avert it.
She said that the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) predicted another heavy downpour from Thursday to Sunday following the recent torrential rain that devastated Accra and other areas. However, strong intercessory prayers prevented the prediction, which would have been catastrophic.
She claims that whenever she shares something that God has revealed to her, she does not receive widespread support from people to join her in effective intercession.
As a result, she has urged everyone including members of parliament, cabinet ministers, traditional authorities, religious leaders, and other citizens to exercise caution and pray fervently in order to avoid premature death.
According to Rt. Rev. Dr Mrs Frimpong-Boateng the recent downpour in Accra which claimed lives and destroyed property was unusual.
“The sea was irritated because of certain rituals performed and caused it to spew forth, exposing the dirt.” There are still some rites in the sea, and they will definitely surface,” she disclosed.
“Let’s pray that God would burn and destroy the things that have contaminated the sea,” she indicated.
By Spectator
The Adentan Circuit Court has convicted a mason for stealing a four-year-old boy from Kpedze in the Volta Region and bringing him to Accra.
David Kpandoyo, 25, a Togolese national, pleaded guilty to a charge of child stealing.
The court, presided over by Mrs Angela Attachie, convicted him on his own plea and adjourned sentencing to July 14, 2026.
Kpandoyo told the court that he had gone to a drinking spot to consume alcohol when the child approached him.
He said he gave the boy some money, took him home, and could not remember what happened afterwards because he was intoxicated.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Patience Mario, assisted by Chief Inspector Jacob Nyarko, led the prosecution.
The prosecution said the complainant, Mr Bismark Gbago, is a 52-year-old painter residing at New Legon in Accra.
The victim’s mother, Ms Patience Ablordefey Afefa, is a 25-year-old hairdresser living at Kpedze in the Volta Region with the victim, a Kindergarten One pupil.
The prosecution said Kpandoyo also resided at New Legon, where he worked as a mason.
It said the victim went missing at Kpedze on July 1, 2026, at about 18:00 hours.
On July 3, at about 6:30pm, the complainant reported to the New Legon Police that he had found the four-year-old boy wandering around the area and that the child was unable to identify his home.
The prosecution said that on July 4, at about 4 p.m., the complainant informed the Police that after announcements were made within the community, Kpandoyo came forward claiming that the boy was his son.
The complainant and Kpandoyo subsequently went to the police Station to identify the child.
However, Kpandoyo was unable to produce the child’s birth certificate or lead the Police to the child’s mother.
Later that day, the police received a flyer bearing the name and telephone numbers of the victim’s mother, together with the child’s photograph, indicating that he had gone missing from Kpedze.
The police contacted the victim’s mother and asked her to report to the New Legon Police Station with the child’s birth certificate and weighing card because another person was claiming to be the child’s parent.
On July 6, the victim’s mother and her relatives reported to the Police Station and stated that they did not know Kpandoyo.
During investigations, Kpandoyo admitted in his cautioned statement that the victim was not his child.
He further confessed that while working at Kpedze, he stole the boy and brought him to Accra. –GNA
