Ministry of employment clarifies audit report controversy

The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has moved swiftly to clarify issues which seem to indict the Ministry along with other Ministries in the Auditor General’s report.

In a rejoinder addressed to all editors of various media organizations, the Ministry, has set the records straight by explaining the foundation of the report, the year which it covers, and the people who were in charge. It has to be said that the clarity does not necessarily exonerate the Ministry as an institution but rather the regime and the individuals involved are not of the present administration.

The report, actually covers the year 2016, and thus has nothing to do with the present Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah. Among other things, the rejoinder states that “the said Audit Report is that for the year ended 2016 which work was conducted in 2017 and reported the 2018 Auditor General’s Report.”

Again, the statement also states that “the sector Minister was only appointed in March 2017 and could not have been implicated in the reported irregularities.”

The statement further indicated that the said irregularities were in connection with transactions carried out by the Youth Employment Agency for which the Ministry has asked the YEA to respond to the adverse audit findings.

The said Auditor General’s Report implicated a host of Ministries, with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations cited as having been involved in irregularities amounting to ghc 135 million. Other Ministries cited for similar irregularities are the Ministry of Finance and Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection. In all, MDA’s are cited to have squandered GHC 892 million in such irregularities.