The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has issued an uncompromising ultimatum to the management of Koforidua Technical University (KTU) to recover a colossal GH¢817,000 in wrongful salary payments within 90 days or the university’s principal officers will be held personally liable to refund the debt to the state.

The stern directive, handed down on Thursday, November 6, 2025, follows revelations in the Auditor-General’s Report detailing a systemic breakdown of internal controls that allowed five staff members to continue receiving salaries for nearly two years despite being absent from their posts.

The massive financial infraction stems from continuous payments made to staff who were either reportedly outside Ghana or on unapproved study leave. These payments persisted due to a failure by the university’s payroll administrators and supervisors to enforce fundamental accountability measures.

Appearing before the PAC, KTU's Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Ohene Asiedu, attempted to reassure the Committee that corrective action was underway.

He explained that efforts were being made to track the whereabouts of the lecturers involved, some of whom were on partial leave or had completely separated from the institution.

However, the recovery figures presented painted a dismal picture.

“We have been making efforts to contact some of the lecturers, who are either out of the country or pursuing studies. So far, out of the total amount owed, the university has been able to recover less than GH¢20,000,” he told the Committee.

This meagre recovery—amounting to less than 2.5% of the total debt—fuelled the PAC's frustration.

The Committee swiftly dismissed the Pro Vice-Chancellor’s explanation, condemning the incident as gross negligence and evidence of critically weak internal controls.

Deputy Chairman of the PAC, Samuel Atta Mills, did not mince words, describing the situation as far more serious than mere administrative error.

“This is government money — our money. GH¢817,000 on separated staff, and yet you cannot contact any of these people or produce a payment plan. It looks to me like planned chaos,” he said, laying the blame directly at the feet of management.

Mr. Atta Mills further detailed that the committee had discovered a crucial institutional failure that exacerbated the loss: three of the five affected staff members had failed to sign mandatory bonds requiring them to return to KTU after their study leave.

This profound failure to secure the state’s investment prompted the PAC Deputy Chairman to declare the situation a possible “a conspiracy to defraud the state.”

To force immediate compliance and prevent the loss of public funds, the PAC issued its most severe warning: collect the funds from the absent staff and their guarantors, or management will personally foot the bill.

Mr. Atta Mills left the university's officials with an uncompromising final word:

“We will make it easier for you. We want you to collect these monies in 90 days. However you do it, with all your lapses and everything — you have guarantors out there. Within 90 days, we want our money,” he ordered.

The countdown is now underway, with the 90-day deadline ensuring the university must conclude the recovery process by early February 2026 or face the full consequences of the PAC’s power to impose a personal surcharge.