UEW's GH¢28m inappropriate honorarium payments before PAC; university asked to document EOCO's correspondence on investigations
The issue of the payment of GH¢28 million in 2022, as honorarium at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), but described by the Auditor-General as inappropriate, was up for discussion at the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 5, 2025).
The committee was informed by the management of the university that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) was already handling the issue and that an investigation was already underway.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), therefore, concluded that the matter should be handed over to the Attorney-General after EOCO completes its work to ensure accountability.
The committee also asked the university to document all its correspondence with EOCO on the investigations.
The matter came up when the Vice-Chancellor of the UEW, Professor Stephen Jobson Mitchual, appeared to respond to findings in the Auditor-General’s Report on public universities.
Members of the Committee questioned the university’s management over the GH¢28 million payments, which auditors had described as “inappropriately paid honorarium.”
The Chair of the Committee, Abena Osei Asare pressed for details on the activities that justified the payments and called for transparency in the use of public funds.
When asked to explain the expenditure, Prof. Mitchual deferred to the University’s Finance Officer, who confirmed the payments but said the matter had already been referred to EOCO and investigations were underway.
“EOCO has been engaged. We have written to them and continue to provide information when requested,” Prof. Mitchual told the Committee. He said the University had been in regular contact with the investigating officer handling the case.
The PAC Chair directed that EOCO’s involvement should be properly documented through official correspondence and that the university should continue to cooperate fully with investigators.
“Okay, then we’ll allow EOCO to handle that and give the information to the auditors,” the Chair said.
The Ranking Member, Samuel Atta Mills added that once EOCO completes its work, “the Attorney-General will take over,” noting that “somebody has to pay” if wrongdoing is established.
The Committee clarified that the audit observations covered the financial year ending December 31, 2024, and related to transactions that took place in 2022, before Prof. Mitchual took office as Vice-Chancellor.
The PAC’s intervention forms part of its oversight of public institutions and its effort to ensure accountability in the management of state funds. The outcome of EOCO’s investigation and any action by the Attorney-General will determine whether recovery or prosecution follows.
