The Ranking Member of Ghana’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Samuel Atta Mills, is demanding sweeping legal reforms to give the committee prosecutorial powers to directly sanction public officials who misuse state funds.
Speaking during a recent PAC sitting, the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem legislator argued that the Committee’s authority to summon and question public officials is limited without the ability to enforce its findings.
“This Committee has to be given the power to bite,” Mr. Atta Mills declared. “Article 185 of the Constitution gives us the powers of a High Court to summon people and question them after the Auditor-General’s work. But beyond that, we cannot arrest or sentence anyone. If we want real accountability, the law must be changed to allow us to do that.”
Learning from Uganda: Arrests on the Spot
Mr. Atta Mills cited Uganda and other East African countries as examples where Public Accounts Committees can immediately act on financial infractions.
“In Uganda, policemen and women sit right at the PAC hearings. When an official is found culpable, they are arrested on the spot. Ghana needs to move in that direction,” he said.
He emphasized that stronger collaboration between the PAC and the Auditor-General’s Office could also enhance recovery of misused public funds.
“The Auditor-General can surcharge individuals who misuse state funds, and we can support those cases to ensure the money is recovered. If Parliament were empowered to enforce these matters directly, we’d be ready to act,” he added.
PAC Warns Universities: Fix Lapses in Administration
Mr. Atta Mills also turned his attention to Ghana’s public universities, urging them to strengthen internal administrative systems to avoid recurring financial mismanagement reported by the Auditor-General.
“Almost every university has issues with unearned salaries or scholarships granted to people who never returned. These are basic administrative lapses that can be avoided with proper oversight,” he noted.
He advised the institutions to tighten controls and improve follow-up mechanisms, especially in managing lands, scholarships, and payroll systems.
“When you award scholarships, follow up on the beneficiaries. Secure your lands properly. These details matter, and we’ve seen the same problems across almost every university appearing before the Committee,” he cautioned.
Government Scholarship System Under Scrutiny
The Ranking Member also called for greater accountability in Ghana’s scholarship schemes, particularly for beneficiaries who fail to return after studying abroad.
“We all know people who got government scholarships to study abroad and never came back. Some didn’t complete their programs, while others stayed overseas doing unrelated jobs. This denies other deserving students the chance to benefit,” he lamented.
He called on government agencies to track scholarship beneficiaries and enforce return obligations to protect the state’s investment.
“The state sacrifices resources for these students. If we fail to ensure accountability, we will lose future opportunities for others,” Mr. Atta Mills stressed.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com