The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has expressed disapproval of Northern Star Community School regarding its management of a payroll issue involving an ill staff member, characterizing the school’s response as lacking sensitivity.
This issue was revealed following the Auditor-General’s report, which highlighted the school for unearned salary payments totaling GH₵5,056.47 associated with the affected staff member.
School officials informed the Committee that the administrative clerk’s attendance had been irregular prior to his eventual cessation of work. They noted that the staff member did not formally notify them of his condition in writing, a shortcoming they claimed influenced their choice to remove him from the payroll and prompted subsequent audit inquiries.
The headmaster, Said A. Farouk, revealed that the school has thus far recouped GH₵1,400 of the total amount, leaving an outstanding sum of GH₵3,665.47. He mentioned that efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining balance from the family of the staff member.
Nevertheless, the Chairperson of the Committee, Abena Osei Asare, criticized the school’s action to remove the administrative clerk from the payroll after he allegedly ceased reporting to work due to illness.
She contended that the school should have taken proactive measures to document the staff member’s condition.
“Couldn’t the school have written, knowing very well that the person is unwell, and taken those steps on behalf of the person? Because there are people who are sick and are not working but are still on the payroll. The fact that you are sick does not mean you should be taken off payroll. Unless you are due for retirement,” she stated.
She also instructed the school to re-engage auditors and ensure that the issue is adequately addressed, as concerns remain regarding accountability and payroll management practices in public institutions.
