A/R: NADMO fails to explain why it paid one staff Gh¢14,000 despite abandoning work after study leave – A-G’s report

The management of the Ashanti Mampong branch of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) cannot explain why it paid one of its staff a total unearned salary of GH¢14,428.89 2475 even though Mr Orstin Amoabeng Edward refused to return to work after his study leave to the Netherlands, the 2021 Auditor-General’s report has revealed.

Regulation 92 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378) requires, among others that the Principal Spending Officer of a covered entity shall ensure the immediate stoppage of payment of salary to public servants and notify the Controller and Accountant-General on the vacation of post by an employee and the head of a covered entity shall take the necessary action to recover any unearned compensation occasioned by that.

However, the A-G said it noted that after Mr Orstin Amoabeng Edward’s 18- month study leave with pay that ended on 23 April 2019, he “failed to either resume duty after the leave expired or communicate to management for an extension”.

The report said despite his “failure to resume duty after a series of letters had been written to remind him, the management validated and approved the payment of unearned salary amounting to GH¢14,428.89 between the period May to November 2019”.

The A-G noted that the management “could not provide any reason for this infraction”.

“This constitutes loss of funds to the State”, the report said.

“We recommended to the Co-ordinator to recover the unearned salary of GH¢14,428.89 from Mr. Orstin Amoabeng Edward or his guarantors into the Controller and Accountant-General’s Salaries Suspense Accounts, failing which, the Co-ordinator should personally refund the amount involved”, the report said.

Source: Classfmonline.com