Public Accounts Committee orders sanctioning of management of Bunkprugu SHS over audit infractions
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, has ordered for the sanctioning of the Management of Bunkpurugu Senior High School in accordance with the Public Procurement Law as amended, for infractions captured in the 2019 Auditor General’s report.
Mr. Avedzi said this when authorities of the school failed to respond satisfactorily to queries made against them when they appeared before the Public Accounts Committee in Tamale.
He therefore directed the Clerk of Committee to capture the recommendation that the School should be sanctioned.
The School has been cited for various infractions in the 2019 Auditor General’s report. The Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi Constituency, Yussif Sulemana had questioned how the school’s Management procured items to the tune of GHC16,005 without recourse to the Procurement Law.
Responding to the query, Accountant of the School, Alhassan Sanda Shaani, said at the time of the audit, the invoices were not in the file but added that they were able to make them available to the auditors. “I was surprised when they captured it in the report, because we produced it,” he said.
Not satisfied with the response, the MP further queried why the invoices were not attached to the various documents, to which Mr. Alhassan Sanda Shaani answered that it was an omission.
But the Member of Parliament for Komenda, Samuel Attah Mills intervened and asked the auditors who were also at the sitting if the said documents were provided during the audit. They responded that they were not given any document to that effect.
Following the response from the auditors, Mr. Samuel Attah Mills questioned why Mr. Alhassan Sanda Shaani lied before a Committee of Parliament. He further directed Mr. Shaani to retract and apologise to the committee, which he did.
Mr. Avedzii said every year, these things happen and because the sanctions are not followed to the letter, people come with same excuses.
He said if recommendations are made and actions are taken, he believes it will help reduce these infractions next year.
