Ghana Immigration Service Officers Given Nov 7 Deadline to Refund GH¢57,006 Unearned Salaries
- Parliament's Public Accounts Committee summoned the Ghana Immigration Service on October 20, 2026, over financial irregularities flagged by the Auditor-General
- Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak named two officers who collected unearned salaries and set a refund deadline
- A separate case involving a former officer who resigned after four years of paid study leave revealed a GH¢206,085 debt still being pursued
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Two Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officers have been ordered to return unearned salary payments totalling up to GH¢57,006, with a firm deadline of November 7, 2026, to do so.
The issue surfaced on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, when the GIS appeared before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to respond to queries arising from the Auditor-General's reports on financial irregularities.
Source: UGC
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who led the delegation, identified the two officers as Abida Zakaria and Abora Angelina.
He confirmed that both had been formally notified of the repayment requirement and warned that officials who authorised the original payments would be held financially responsible if the money was not recovered by the deadline.
Payroll Gaps Prompt New Management System
Mr Muntaka also disclosed plans to roll out a new human resource management software system within the GIS to tighten salary validation and streamline staff transfers.
He explained that delays in updating personnel records had repeatedly created situations where former supervisors continued validating salaries for officers who had already moved to new postings or left the service entirely. The proposed system is intended to close those gaps.
In a related matter, the committee reviewed GH¢37,907 in excess salary arrears paid to seven GIS officers. The minister said roughly GH¢24,900 had already been recovered, leaving about GH¢12,900 outstanding.
He appealed for leniency on interest charges, particularly for newly recruited officers who may not have fully understood how their arrears were calculated.
The committee chairperson, however, maintained that officers had an obligation to query payments that appeared unusually high, especially after receiving written notices explaining their salary adjustments.
Study-Leave Debt and Absconding Officer
The committee also scrutinised a case involving a GIS inspector who resigned after completing four years of study leave with full pay, without fulfilling the required service obligations.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering GH¢206,085, including interest, from the former officer. Mr Muntaka said the individual had been contacted and expressed willingness to pay, with an end-of-October 2026 deadline set for settlement.
He cautioned that those who approved the study leave could equally face financial liability if recovery proved unsuccessful.
The ministry has since begun auditing compliance with study-leave conditions, including verifying admission documents and academic transcripts.
In a further case, the committee examined salary payments made to officer Modestus Komla Goloh, who failed to return from leave on August 27, 2024.
Despite his continued absence, GH¢7,737.68 was paid to him during September and October 2024. The minister confirmed the amount had been recovered with interest, and a representative of the Auditor-General noted that GH¢9,246.26 had ultimately been paid back.
Mr Muntaka used the occasion to propose that the GIS, alongside the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Prisons Service, be granted self-accounting status similar to the arrangement currently enjoyed by the Police Service, arguing that greater financial autonomy would improve payroll oversight.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
