A governance expert with the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor John Osae-Kwapong, has expressed concern over the lack of effective oversight in Ghana’s public institutions following revelations from the ongoing Buffer Stock Company scandal.
Speaking on the AM Show, Prof. Osae-Kwapong said he finds it “baffling” that the country’s internal control systems failed to detect irregularities that have cost the state millions of cedis.
“Anytime I listen to the Attorney-General or read the Auditor-General’s report, I ask myself — how come that throughout the entire process, none of the internal auditors or oversight units caught these issues? It’s shocking,” he said.
His remarks follow disclosures by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, that former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company, Abdul-Wahab Hannan, acquired several luxury properties in Accra and Tamale using proceeds from alleged financial crimes.
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Dr Ayine, speaking during the Government Accountability Series, revealed that the properties were worth several million dollars and Ghana cedis, describing the findings as “a troubling example of the rot that has plagued the public sector.”
Prof. Osae-Kwapong noted that such recurring scandals point to systemic failures within Ghana’s governance and accountability systems.
He questioned why internal auditors, compliance officers, and financial controllers in public institutions consistently miss early warning signs.
“Across all our public sector agencies, we have internal auditors and other layers of oversight. So, how did none of these mechanisms detect these acts that have deliberately cost the nation so much?” he lamented.
The CDD fellow added that the frequency of corruption-related revelations risks deepening public cynicism.
“Honestly, I don’t even think I’ll watch the next Attorney-General’s press briefing because some of these revelations start making you cynical,” he said.