Ignore A-G Letter; OccupyGhana Tells Auditor General

OccupyGhana has urged the Auditor General, Mr Johnson Akuamoah-Asiedu to ignore the letter of the Attorney-General (A-G) concerning the audit report of the government’s Covid-19 expenditure.

The pressure group in a letter to the A-G, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, said the letter is unconstitutional.

A-G’s Letter To Auditor

In January 2023, before Parliament resumed from recess, Ghana’s Auditor General published an audit report on the government’s Covid expenditure.

In a subsequent letter to the Auditor General, the A-G described the publication of the Covid report as “premature”.

“It is only after satisfying the constitutional requirement of submitting the auditor general’s report to Parliament, the subsequent debate by Parliament thereon and conclusion of work by the appropriate committee of Parliament, that the report of the Auditor-General may be considered final and relevant action may be taken thereon.”

He believes by the method of the Auditor, Parliament’s consequential obligation to debate and scrutinise the report will be grossly prejudiced.

OccupyGhana’s Reaction

But a letter from OccupyGhana said there is no Constitutional provision that prevents the chief auditor from publishing his reports.

Additionally, it said the auditor general’s power to disallow and surcharge is independent of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee process, which Parliament may only invoke ‘where necessary;’.

It also pointed out that subjecting any function of the Auditor-General to parliamentary approval is in blatant conflict with the form and substance of his constitutionally-protected and independent mandate. 

It, therefore, urged the Auditor to ignore the A-G’s letter.

“We are copying the Auditor-General in this letter, and urging him to ignore your letter as being blatantly unconstitutional.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini