President John Dramani Mahama has called for a comprehensive strengthening of Ghana’s internal audit systems to address the recurring financial irregularities reported annually by the Auditor-General.
Speaking at the 3rd African Association of Accountants General Conference at the Accra International Conference Centre, he questioned the persistent lapses within state institutions despite the presence of internal auditors embedded in every government department.
He expressed concern that the continuous irregularities listed in the Auditor-General’s annual reports point to deeper systemic weaknesses in internal auditing.
President Mahama emphasized that internal audits, conducted year-round within ministries, departments, and agencies, should serve as the first line of defence against financial infractions.
President Mahama further called for decisive action to decentralize the Accountant-General’s Department, stressing that longstanding bureaucratic delays and weak validation systems continue to fuel payroll irregularities across the public sector.
According to him, the current system, where the Accountant-General’s office in Accra manages the salary of a nurse or teacher stationed in a remote district, is inefficient, outdated, and in urgent need of reform.
