Findings of an audit report of the Tano South Municipal Assembly has indicted Mr Benjamin Assabil Essando, the Tano South District Coordinator of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), ordering the Agency to freeze his salaries with immediate effect.
It further directed the YEA to write to the banks of Mr Essando, who is also the Tano South Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and ensure he pays the unearned salaries of GHC10, 400.00 back to the government chest.
A copy of the report findings dated, January 1 to September 30, 2018, and made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said “our review of the payroll at the YEA disclosed that Mr Essando, the District Coordinator of YEA, Tano South Municipal Assembly, was given a contract appointment as a project assistant with effect from September 1, 2017, and he received a gross monthly salary of GHC1, 300.00.”.
“At the same time, Mr Essando was an employee of the Ghana Education Service with staff ID 162585 at the Tepa District Office as a training officer. We, therefore, recommend that Mr Essando should be made to resign from one of the jobs, and pay back the undeserved salaries he received to the government chest”, the report indicated.
When contacted, Mr Essando said he could not comment on the matter, but directed the GNA to the Tano South Municipal Assembly.
Meanwhile, Mr Collins Offinam-Takyi, the Tano South Municipal Chief Executive who confirmed the report, described the situation as unfortunate and called on the YEA to act accordingly.
He told the GNA since corruption remained the bane of accelerated national development, the Assembly was not in any position to tolerate or shield any corrupt practice.