Dead Pensioners Paid GH¢7.5m Over Seven Years

Four deceased pensioners were paid a total of GH¢7,494,975.34 in pension benefits over a seven-year period after their deaths, according to the Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana: Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies (MDAs) for the Year Ended 31 December 2025. The payments were made between February 2019 and March 2026, contrary to Regulation 88 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I. 2378). The Auditor-General said the payments were made contrary to Regulation 88, which states that, "…Except as otherwise provided under any other enactment, the effective date of stoppage of salaries shall, in the case of a deceased public officer, be the day following the date of death."

This finding forms part of the Auditor-General's report, which recorded GH¢5.266 billion in financial irregularities across Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies (MDAs) for the year ended December 31, 2025. The anomaly was identified during the audit of the Controller and Accountant-General's Department, Pensions Directorate, Greater Accra Region. The Auditor-General recommended that the Controller and Accountant-General recover the total amount of GH¢7,494,975.34 together with interest at the prevailing Bank of Ghana rate from the next-of-kin of the deceased pensioners and pay same into the Auditor-General's Recoveries Account at the Bank of Ghana. The Auditor-General further recommended legal action if the amount is not recovered.