The Parliamentary Select Committee on Education has begun reviewing the financial and procurement practices of some Colleges of Education following adverse findings contained in the Auditor General’s reports for the 2024 and 2025 financial years.

The exercise formed part of the Committee’s oversight duties, with management of the affected institutions appearing before lawmakers to respond to issues raised in the audit reports and outline steps being taken to address them.

Chairman of the Committee, Peter Nortsu Kotoe, expressed concern about procurement lapses identified at some of the institutions and urged college authorities to strictly comply with the relevant procurement laws and procedures.

He stressed the need for management to strengthen internal controls to ensure public funds were properly accounted for and used for their intended purposes.

The Committee also raised concerns about the ability of the institutions to anticipate and manage risks that could affect their operations.

A member of the Committee, Fred Kyei, urged the colleges to develop comprehensive risk management frameworks that would enable them to identify potential threats early and take appropriate measures to minimise their impact.

Lawmakers further encouraged the institutions to prioritise regular in-service training for their staff, arguing that continuous professional development would help improve administrative practices and enhance the quality of services delivered by the colleges.

Among the institutions engaged by the Committee were St John Bosco’s College of Education, Gambaga College of Education, Dambai College of Education, Al Faruq College of Education, OLA College of Education, Peki College of Education, St Francis College of Education and E.P. College of Education, Amedzofe.

Others included Akrokeri College of Education, Wiawso College of Education, Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education, Sunyani Technical University and Dr Hilla Limann Technical University.

The Committee said the engagements were intended to strengthen accountability and ensure that public educational institutions comply with prescribed financial, procurement and management standards.