Two immigration officers given November 7 deadline to refund GHc57,006 in unearned salaries as PAC scrutinises GIS payroll

Two Ghana Immigration Service officers who collectively received GH¢57,006 in unearned salaries have been ordered to refund the money by November 7, 2026, with Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak warning that the officials who authorised the payments will be held financially liable if the funds are not recovered.

The directive emerged on Tuesday, October 20, when the Ghana Immigration Service appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to answer queries arising from irregularities flagged in Auditor-General’s reports . The minister named the two officers as Abida Zakaria and Abora Angelina, confirming both had been formally notified of the repayment requirement .

“The ministry would pursue the officials who authorised the payments if the beneficiaries failed to pay by the deadline,” Muntaka told the committee .

Broader Payroll Irregularities Surface

The hearing exposed a pattern of payroll failures beyond the two officers’ case. The committee examined GH¢37,907 in excess salary arrears paid to seven Immigration Service officers. Muntaka disclosed that approximately GH¢24,900 had been recovered, leaving about GH¢12,900 outstanding . He appealed for leniency on interest charges, particularly for newly recruited officers who may not have understood how their arrears were calculated. Committee chairperson Abena Osei-Asare pushed back, arguing that beneficiaries have a responsibility to question payments that appear excessive, especially when they receive official letters explaining salary adjustments .

In a separate matter, the committee scrutinised efforts to recover GH¢206,085 from an Immigration Service inspector who resigned after spending four years on study leave with pay without fulfilling the required service obligations. Muntaka said the former officer had been contacted and expressed willingness to pay, with a deadline of end-October 2026. He cautioned that officials who approved the study leave could face financial liability if recovery fails .

The committee also heard that officer Modestus Komla Goloh, who failed to return from leave on August 27, 2024, nonetheless received GH¢7,737.68 for September and October 2024. Muntaka confirmed the amount had been recovered with interest, with an Auditor-General’s representative confirming GH¢9,246.26 had been paid .

Systemic Fixes Proposed

Muntaka announced plans to introduce new human resource management software to address the root cause of many irregularities: delayed updates to personnel records. Under the current system, supervisors at former stations sometimes continue validating salaries for officers who have transferred, resigned, or absconded, only discovering the error through informal channels .

The minister also threw his weight behind a proposal to grant self-accounting status to the Immigration Service, Fire Service, and Prisons Service, mirroring arrangements already in place for the Police Service. He argued that greater financial autonomy would strengthen oversight and simplify payroll audits . PAC chairperson Osei-Asare indicated the committee would support the reform in its reports, noting that “it’s easier to audit” self-accounting units .

For the two officers facing the November 7 deadline, the immediate obligation is clear. For the Immigration Service, the larger question is whether the proposed software and structural reforms will prevent the next payroll scandal before it reaches the Public Accounts Committee.