[CHECKLIST] Auditor-General Orders Removal of 3,120 Teachers from Government Payroll After Nationwide Audit
The Auditor-General has directed the immediate removal of 3,120 teachers from the government payroll following a comprehensive audit of public-sector employment records. The decision forms part of a broader clean-up exercise that identified a total of 6,263 names that could not be properly verified across the public service.
The directive was contained in a formal letter dated 13 January 2026 and addressed to the Controller and Accountant-General. It was signed by the Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, and outlined the findings of a nationwide physical headcount and records verification exercise.
According to the Auditor-General’s communication, the verification exercise covered Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. Individuals whose names appeared on the payroll but could not be physically accounted for or supported with credible documentation were classified as unverified and subsequently marked for removal.
The inclusion of over three thousand teachers among those affected has drawn attention to long-standing challenges within the public-sector payroll system, particularly in the education sector. The audit highlights persistent weaknesses in personnel management, including gaps in record-keeping and monitoring mechanisms.
The Auditor-General noted that the exercise was aimed at protecting public funds and ensuring that government salaries are paid only to legitimately employed workers. By eliminating unverified names, the state is expected to reduce payroll leakages and improve overall fiscal discipline.
This latest action reinforces the Auditor-General’s role in promoting accountability and transparency in public financial management. It also serves as a signal to public institutions to strengthen internal controls and regularly update staff records to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
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