CDD-Ghana calls omissions in Ghana’s COVID audit alarming — MyJoyOnline
The Ghana Center for Democratic Development, CDD-Ghana, said that the identified omissions in the audit of COVID-19 response spending raise concerns about the fight against corruption in the country. Vera Abena Addo, CDD-Ghana’s programme coordinator for elections, rule of law and anti-corruption, said this on the Newsfile programme, MyJoyOnline reports.
The role of the auditor general’s reports
According to Addo, the auditor general holds an important place in Ghana’s accountability system. Civil society organisations, parliament and citizens rely on the auditor general’s reports to monitor the use of public funds and demand accountability.
She noted that CDD-Ghana and other anti-corruption organisations recently used the auditor general’s recommendations during follow-up work in 24 districts. This work was funded by the European Union and implemented by SODIL Ghana in partnership with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and Transparency International Ghana.
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The need for explanations
Addo acknowledged that mistakes can occur in public institutions. At the same time, she said that the scale of the omissions reported by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni requires a clear official explanation from the Ghana Audit Service.
The CDD-Ghana representative also said that the service’s response to the journalist’s findings did not adequately address the issues raised. She stressed that the difference between the spending reflected in the auditor general’s report and the amount identified by Awuni is too significant to ignore.
In Addo’s view, the issue concerns not only possible financial losses but also trust in the institution whose reports are relied upon by organisations combating corruption.
