The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has commended 61 Chief Executive Officers of public institutions and state-owned enterprises for meeting the April 30 deadline to submit audited accounts, describing the development as “a bold step toward restoring public trust in state governance.”
Mr Abraham Koomson, GFL Secretary General, in an interview with Modern Ghana News in Accra, said that even though the compliance rate was very low, the law-abiding CEOs must be commended while the recalcitrant CEOs punished.
He said acknowledging law-abiding CEOs and punishing those who flagrantly disobey President John Dramani Mahama’s directive on the submission of audited accounts must suffer the consequences as such action from government will enforce the growing discipline within Ghana’s public sector and signals a shift in the culture of accountability that has long been demanded by workers and taxpayers.
“This is not just about paperwork. It is about showing Ghanaians that public resources are being managed with integrity,” said Mr Koomson, “For too long, delays in audit submissions have obscured transparency. These 61 CEOs have set a standard we expect all public leaders to follow.”
The April 30 deadline was set by in accordance with the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), which requires all 185 covered entities to submit annual audited financial statements within four months after the end of the financial year.
Historically, compliance has been low, with the Auditor-General’s reports repeatedly flagging late or non-submission as a major barrier to oversight.
For the GFL, timely audits are directly tied to workers’ interests and argued that accurate, up-to-date financial reporting allows labour unions to engage meaningfully in negotiations, track the use of funds meant for wages and benefits, and hold management accountable for operational efficiency.
“When audited accounts are delayed, it becomes difficult to assess whether an institution can meet its wage obligations or invest in worker safety and training…the 124 CEOs who failed to submit what are they hiding,” he asked.
The Federation also urged President Mahama to sanction all those CEOs who failed to adhere to the directive, “for their insubordination they must face the full rigors of the law and must suffer the consequences of their actions and to serve as deterrent to others in the future.”
Mr Koomson noted that President Mahama’s immediate reaction through sanctioning the disobedient CEOs could improve Ghana’s standing with development partners and investors who have often cited weak public financial management as a risk.
The GFL said it will monitor the publication of the Auditor-General’s next report closely and will work with civil society to ensure that the findings lead to corrective action, not just headlines.
The commendation comes as Ghana continues efforts to strengthen governance and curb financial leakages in the public sector.
He reiterated that “124 Chief Executive Officers out of 185 wilfully disobeyed President Mahama’s directives. This is an act of disrespect, disobedience and insubordination and undermines public accountability and fiscal discipline; President Mahama must crack the whips and sack them immediately.”
“It is a patriotic demand rooted in the principle that public office is a public trust. ” When CEOs entrusted with public funds refuse to account for them, they undermine the very foundation of our democracy, starve the development of resources, and betray the Ghanaian worker whose taxes, pensions, and labour sustain these institutions,” Mr Koomson stated.
Data from the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) shows that only 61 out of 185 state-owned enterprises, joint ventures, and specified entities met the April 30 cutoff. That represents a compliance rate of roughly 32 per cent, meaning more than two-thirds of the institutions required to report failed to do so on time.
It would be recalled that President Mahama directed all Chief Executive Officers of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to submit their audited accounts and annual reports by the end of April 2026, warning of consequences for those who fail to comply.
The President made this known while addressing Ghanaians living in Zambia during an engagement on Wednesday, February 4.
According to President Mahama, several state-owned enterprises have neglected their statutory obligations for years, undermining transparency and accountability in the public sector.
“There are many state-owned enterprises that for seven to eight years have never produced an annual report,” he said. “Meanwhile, it is obligatory for them to do it.”
He stressed that the current situation was unacceptable and would no longer be tolerated under his administration. President Mahama noted that clear timelines had been set to ensure compliance.
“This year, I said, woe betide any chief executive of a state-owned enterprise who, by the end of April, which is the target date, has not done your audits and presented your annual reports,” he warned.
Although the President did not spell out the specific sanctions, his remarks suggested firm action against defaulting heads of state institutions.
“I won’t say what will happen,” he added, reinforcing the seriousness of the directive.
