Two officers from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) who received up to GH¢57,006 in unearned salaries have been given a deadline of November 7, 2026, to refund.
The officials who authorised the payments have been told that they will be held financially responsible if the money is not recovered.
This came to light when the GIS appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to respond to queries arising from financial irregularities identified in the Auditor-General’s reports.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who led the GIS to appear before the Parliamentary committee named the two officers as Abida Zakaria and Abora Angelina, and added that they have been notified to refund the money.
He added that the ministry would pursue the officials who authorised the payments if the beneficiaries failed to pay by the deadline.
Payroll controls
Mr Muntaka also announced plans to introduce a new human resource management software system to improve staff transfers and salary validation within the Ghana Immigration Service.
He said data was being uploaded to the system, which was expected to help ensure that officers who were transferred were promptly linked to their new management units.
He explained that delays in updating personnel records sometimes left supervisors at former stations responsible for validating salaries after officers had moved to new postings.
In some cases, he said, supervisors relied on information from colleagues at the receiving stations before discovering that an officer had resigned or absconded.
Mr Muntaka said the proposed system was intended to address the weaknesses.
Salary arrears
The committee also examined GH¢37,907 in excess salary arrears paid to seven Immigration Service officers as contained in the Auditor-General's report.
Mr Muntaka said about GH¢24,900 had been recovered, leaving approximately GH¢12,900 outstanding.
He said the ministry was pursuing the balance but appealed for consideration over interest charges, particularly in cases involving newly recruited officers who might not have understood how their salary arrears had been calculated.
The committee chairperson, on her part, argued that beneficiaries had a responsibility to question payments that appeared excessive, particularly when they had received letters explaining their salary adjustments.
Mr Muntaka said the processes used to calculate and pay salary arrears required closer scrutiny.
He also proposed that other security agencies, including the Immigration Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Prisons Service, be considered for self-accounting arrangements similar to those operated by the Police Service.
He argued that greater financial autonomy would improve oversight and make payroll audits easier.
Study-leave debt
In another case, the committee examined the recovery of GH¢206,085 from an Immigration Service inspector who reportedly resigned after spending four years on study leave with pay.
The Auditor-General had recommended that the amount, together with interest, be recovered after the officer failed to fulfil the relevant service obligations.
Mr Muntaka said the ministry had contacted the former officer, who had indicated a willingness to pay.
He said the officer had been given until the end of October 2026 to settle the debt.
The minister warned that officials who authorised the study leave could be held financially responsible if the money was not recovered from the former officer.
He added that the ministry had begun checking compliance with study-leave conditions, including admission requirements and the submission of academic transcripts.
Unearned salaries
The committee also questioned the Immigration Service about salary payments made to an officer, Modestus Komla Goloh, who failed to return from leave on August 27, 2024.
Despite his absence, GH¢7,737.68 was paid to him for September and October 2024.
Mr Muntaka said the money had been recovered with interest, while a representative of the Auditor-General confirmed that GH¢9,246.26 had been paid.
