Usually, people do things they know that they are not supposed to do because they can! Yes, the Obama 2008 “Yes you can” campaign message has a flip side. Yes, you can do things against the law, against the state, against the organization that employs you, and even against your own self just because you can!
This week, the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament began sitting on a report that has gotten lost amidst the other report in which a certain Alfred Agbesi Woyome is mentioned. This is the ‘Report of the Auditor-General on the public accounts of Ghana for the year ended 31 December 2010 on the Ministries, Departments and other Agencies (MDAs) of the central government’. You can find it on the website of the Ghana Audit Service at http://www.ghaudit.org/reports/MDA_S_2010.pdf.If you have Internet access, the website of the Audit Service is a must place for you to visit periodically to read published reports. The way things go, we must all shine our eyes. Ignorance kills. Bible-inclined folks know that people who lack knowledge perish. We should not allow ourselves to perish. It is especially unpardonable for those of us who have the privilege of literacy not to remain vigilant and informed of documents in the public domain. If the information is hidden, we could be pardoned. But this information is just an internet click away.
How are technocrats keeping Ghana?
The more I study such reports, the more I’m tempted to think that the balance of power lies in the bosom of technocrats, not politicians. The technocrats provide the cushion and platform on which the politicians function. The scars the technocrats inflict on the finances of Ghana might be deeper than we care to know. The technocrats are the pen and paper pushers and implementers of policies. They are the advisors of government (if government feels like listening to them!). They are the keepers of the purse. They are the keepers of our history, records and of institutional memories. In effect, technocrats are the keepers of Ghana. How are our technocrats keeping Ghana? In his transmittal letter to the Speaker of Parliament for this report, the Auditor-General Richard Q. Quartey, profoundly states: “Despite my previous comments regarding MDAs’ failure to comply with the Financial Administration Act with respect to the preparation and submission of financial statements, the problem still persists.” Wow! Is there a systemic failure?
The MDAs do not comply with the law because they can afford not to, with impudence. By this statement, the A-G is admitting that he doesn’t like this solid status quo; and especially, that it’s not good for Ghana. So whose fault is it that “the problem still persists?” In a concluding statement, he said, “I am not satisfied with the litany of financial irregularities which are exhibited yearly by MDAs. I therefore strongly recommend that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning develops a code of ethic for the Public Service to ensure proper, effective and efficient use of the funds.”
Meet one of such technocrats in the A-G’s 2010 report: “An audit disclosed that between October 2008 and June 2010, the Volta Regional Director of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, Mr Christian Sekyi, misappropriated GH¢542,919.00 being unclaimed salaries and pensions which should have been transferred into the Consolidated Fund. We recommended the prosecution of the interdicted officer for the recovery of the amount.” So he, one individual, a keeper of Ghana’s purse, could with audacity misappropriate half-a-million-plus Ghana cedis? When will he be prosecuted? Are such technocrats the centre of gravity of Ghana’s (under)development?
You would expect that such reports would become game changers and put the fear of God in people. But no! Ideally, these reports must be seen as gifts to Ghana, to throw the searchlight on our dark corners, name and shame, and to straighten the crooked. These reports, treated properly, would become the equivalence of national tongue-lashing.
The Ministry of Health’s financial rottenness:
Today, I will throw the searchlight on some disturbing stories in this aforementioned report to highlight the state of rottenness in the Ministry of Health. Without good health, we’re nothing. Yet, our lousy health care delivery system remains a death trap. Woe unto you if you get sick! Frightening! The Ministry of Health is being bled. The extent of wastage that is allowed to occur is heart-breaking and unconscionable against the backdrop of the reality of our low-cost health care delivery system. So here are a few stories from health-land itself – the Ministry of Health. The total amount of money lost to Ghana in the following seven stories is GHc821,269. And there are many more of such stories.
“Due to inaction demonstrated by management and the Capital Investment and Management Unit, the Ministry stands the risk of losing GH¢46,200 being an amount paid to F.F. Construction Limited in March 2006, for the purchase and maintenance of a vehicle which was not delivered. We recommended that F.F. Construction Limited should refund the amount.” Oh, so due to lousy management, GH¢46,200 has been on the verge of being lost to a private company since 2006? If this money had belonged to an individual, would he/she allow it to be lost? Ah, the state of Ghana is no person’s uncle, mother, father, husband, wife or child!“Failure of the management of six health institutions to take effective steps to stop payments led to the payment of unearned salaries totalling GH¢103,201. We recommended recovery of the illegal payments and the prompt deletion of the names of the staff involved from the payroll.” Who in their right business mind will pay salaries to people who have not worked? Answer: only those who do not care and/or out to destroy!
“Misappropriation of revenue totalled GH¢419,472. This condition was attributed to lack of supervision by the responsible authorities. We advised that the culprits should be made to refund the amounts and the Head of institutions involved should improve upon their supervision over the accounts department and also pursue the criminal aspects of the matter.” Who hired and keeps these lousy supervisors in their positions? If they’re non-performers, why are they allowed to stay to continue sabotaging our health care system?
“Unacquitted payments totalled GH¢46,135. The lapse was attributed to lack of supervision by management and could lead to misappropriation of funds.” There we go again with ‘lack of supervision’! Could it be that these people need supervisory skills training, or they’re just not trainable?
“Outstanding debtors which amounted to GH¢123,745 included unrecovered staff advances of GH¢42,254 and GH¢81,491 being non-payment of bills by patients. We advised the authorities to closely monitor the debts and recover the amounts involved.” Clearly, such a situation might not arise in a private hospital!
“Payments vouchers with a face value of GH¢82,516 were not presented for examination due to inadequate control over disbursements.” There we go again! GHc82,516 is allowed to get lost owing to ‘idontcarism’!
Any business that is mismanaged in the scenarios above will go bankrupt. No private hospital in Ghana can dare to be managed this way. Our health services will continue to deteriorate and our hospitals will remain death traps if this state of ‘idontcarism’ mismanagement is allowed to continue.
dorisdartey@gmail.com
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