The Office of the Auditor-General has issued an urgent correction regarding a massive discrepancy in its latest Nationwide Payroll Audit, clarifying that a staggering GH₵427,995,661.40 previously linked to a single individual was the result of a clerical blunder.
The clarification follows recent media reports suggesting that Mr. Frank Oliver Kpodo, a public servant, had received the nearly half-billion-cedi sum in unearned salaries between January 2023 and June 2025.
In a press statement released Tuesday, the Audit Service identified the figure as a “transpositional error,” explaining that the amount actually represents the total value of salaries paid to 3,476 unaccounted staff members within the Ministry of Education.
“The amount attributed to Mr. Kpodo above was due to a transpositional error,” the statement read. “The GH₵427,995,661.40 relates to the Ministry of Education in respect of 3,476 unaccounted staff during the payroll audit.”
The error, which appeared in the audit report dated November 20, 2025, sparked immediate public outcry and intense scrutiny of the individual named.
Addressing the fallout, the Audit Service offered a “most sincere and unreserved” apology to Mr. Kpodo for the distress and reputational damage caused by the publication.
The Service further extended its apologies to the Government of Ghana, the Controller and Accountant-General, and the general public for the oversight.
While the correction clears Mr. Kpodo of any wrongdoing regarding the massive sum, it shifts the focus back to the Ministry of Education.
The underlying audit findings still point to significant systemic leaks, with the government now tasked with tracking down the millions of cedis paid to over 3,000 “ghost names” or unaccounted personnel within the educational sector.
The Auditor-General’s department reaffirmed its commitment to good governance and accountability, noting that the correction is essential to ensuring the integrity of the national payroll records.
