Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has cautioned heads of security agencies that he will not take responsibility for any financial transactions or correspondence that bypass his office.
His warning comes amid scrutiny of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) over a GHS 3 million resubmitted settled commitment.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, March 31, Minister Mubarak noted that many agencies often write directly to the Minister of Finance without routing correspondence through their sector ministries. He explained that this practice creates confusion, duplication, and administrative inefficiencies.
“You’ll be sitting there, and all of a sudden something comes up that you are not aware of. Then they forward it to you again, and you now send it again. Before you realise, the repetition has happened,” he said.
The minister said he had recently instructed his chief director to ensure that all agency expenditures and correspondence pass through his office first.
“I vehemently told the chief director that if agencies don’t send their expenditures and letters through me, don’t call me to answer for them. I won’t take responsibility for anything that did not pass through my office,” he added.
Minister Mubarak explained that the measure is intended to prevent duplicate communications and strengthen accountability.
Using the Ghana Immigration Service as an example, he highlighted how multiple deputies could submit separate letters, creating further complications. He stressed that all correspondence must go through his office to avoid such issues.