A special payroll verification audit report by the Auditor General claims the University of Ghana was the biggest culprit in inflating salary claims among government institutions.

The University alone, according to the report, accounted for GH¢59.2 million, or 68%, of the GH¢86.86 million saved through payroll audits between 2022 and 2024.

The audit, which matched employee compensation claims against verified payments, flagged large discrepancies at the University, most of them occurring in 2024, an election year.

Between 2022 and 2024, the University submitted salary claims totaling GH¢1.09 billion. However, only GH¢1.03 billion was cleared by the Auditor-General’s office after verification, revealing GH¢59.24 million in overstatements.

Breakdown of savings by year:

Wider Context: Billions Flagged, Few Recovered

The report covers broader financial recoveries based on recommendations from 2020 to 2023 Auditor General reports, including disallowances and payroll savings up to December 31, 2024.

Overall, the Auditor-General flagged GH¢38.9 billion for recovery, but only GH¢12.7 billion, about 32.6%, has been retrieved.

While payroll irregularities represent a smaller portion of the total flagged funds, the concentration of issues at the University of Ghana has triggered public concern about financial accountability in tertiary institutions.