The Auditor-General’s latest audit has unmasked the unlawful disbursement of a staggering GH¢7,494,975.34 to four late pensioners.
The revelation raised fresh concerns about weaknesses in Ghana’s pension administration system.
The irregularities were thoroughly detailed in the newly released Audit Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana – Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies (MDAs) for the year ended December 31, 2025.
According to the audit report, a total of GH¢7,494,975.34 was paid to four pensioners after their deaths between February 2019 and March 2026, which is contrary to Regulation 88 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378).
The Auditor-General in the report recommended that the Controller and Accountant-General recover the full amount with interest calculated at the prevailing Bank of Ghana rate, from the next of kin of the four deceased pensioners.
According to the report, any recovered funds should be paid into the Auditor-General’s Recoveries Account at the Bank of Ghana.
The Auditor-General further instructed that if the money cannot be recovered, legal action should be initiated against both the bankers involved and the next-of-kin of the deceased pensioners.
Meanwhile, the audit finding forms part of a broader set of payroll irregularities identified in the 2025 audit of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
In related news, President John Dramani Mahama has warned Chief Executive Officers of state-owned enterprises (SOE) that they risk losing their jobs if they fail to submit audited accounts and annual reports.
According to John Mahama, Chief Executive Officers of state-owned enterprises who fail to submit audited accounts and annual reports by the deadline set by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) will be sacked.
He disclosed that his government is strengthening oversight of state-owned enterprises as part of broader efforts to improve accountability and management.
President asserted that several state institutions had operated for years without presenting audited accounts or annual reports, adding that the practice is unacceptable.
Speaking at a diaspora town hall meeting in the UK on Sunday, May 31, President Mahama, stated, “We found out that some state-owned enterprises had not presented annual reports or audited accounts for seven years. I mean, who runs an organisation like that for seven years without audited accounts and annual reports?
“So we have made the submission of audited accounts and annual reports part of their key performance indicators. I’ve told the CEOs that SIGA has set a deadline, I think by the middle of this year. If you have not presented your audited accounts and you have not presented your annual report, the road is your face; you go home,” he said.
Also, President John Dramani Mahama at the townhall meeting sent a message to public officials who have been implicated in financial irregularities captured in the Auditor-General’s reports.
Mahama told audit offenders to either refund the stolen money, or they will be sent to Nsawam prison for misappropriation of funds.
According to President Mahama, he is concern of the recurring financial losses highlighted in annual audit reports.
He described the recurring financial losses as a significant burden on the national economy, adding that constant audit findings point to deep-rooted weaknesses in public financial management and accountability.
John Mahama stated, “Every year, you hear the Auditor General’s report; Ghana loses 12 billion cedis from misappropriations and things. The Chief Justice has graciously set up audit courts,” he disclosed.
“The Attorney General and the Auditor General are going to take out all the people who have misappropriated, and we’re putting them in front of those special courts to either refund our money or proceed to NSAWAM and go and catch some rest there,” he noted.
See part of the report below:
@ghnow_ At Damfa, the inspection team observed that a retention pond had been heavily encroached upon, significantly reducing its size and its capacity to hold rainwater from the Aburi Hills. An official from the GARID Project briefed the Task Force on the situation in the area and highlighted the challenges posed by the encroachment. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
