Retrieve misapplied GH¢605,961.97 disbursed to Paramount Chiefs to fight COVID-19 – A-G orders Chieftaincy Ministry

Part of the "wrongful" spending of funds captured in the Auditor-General’s report between March 2020 and June 2022 is the payment of an unaccounted amount of GH¢605,962 to some paramount chiefs by the Chieftancy Ministry.

The report says the distribution goes contrary to Section 96 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and Regulation 78 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019.

However, the audit report added that an amount of GH¢154,161.97 of the said amount requested by the Presidents of the Regional House of Chiefs was misused by two houses.

The A-G therefore directed the Chief Director of the Chieftaincy Ministry to oversee the refunding of the total amount distributed (GH¢605,962) because it wasn’t used by the Paramount Chiefs for the purpose of rendering sensitization to their natives amid the pandemic as expected of them.

“Contrary to Section 96 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) and Regulation 78 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 our review of expenditure records of six Regional Houses of Chiefs disclosed that COVID-19 funds amounting to GH¢451,800.00 were disbursed directly to the Paramount Chiefs of the Traditional Councils to fight the Pandemic,” said in part of the audit report.

It adds, “However, these payments were unsubstantiated with relevant supporting documents. We also noted that two Regional Houses misapplied a total amount of GH¢154,161.97.

“The Registrars of Ashanti and Central Regional Houses of Chiefs explained that the amounts were disbursed to the Paramount Chiefs upon directives from the Presidents of the Houses. The Registrar, Brong Ahafo said he was not at post during the period, whilst the other five Registrars could not assign reasons for the lapse.”

The audit service is concerned that “This could lead to misapplication or misappropriation of public funds.”

On the score, the report “recommended that the Chief Director should ensure the Registrars of the eight Houses of Chiefs recover the total amount of GH¢605,961.97 from Chiefs failing which the Chief Director should pay the amount into the Auditor-General's Recoveries account.”

On how such amount was distributed to the Houses of Chief, the A-G’s report revealed, “Management in response indicated that at the emergency meeting, members agreed to give each of the ten regions GH¢80,000.00. The amount was to assist all the traditional areas in each of the ten regions to move from house to house to educate and encourage natives to abide by the COVID-19 protocols at all times.”

“The money was received by the Presidents of the Regional Houses of Chiefs for onward disbursement to Paramount Chiefs to encourage more natives to use the nose mask, which is still helpful till date,” it concluded on the unaccounted fund at the Chieftaincy Ministry.