A Special Investigative Committee established to probe a GH¢28 million procurement scandal at Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) has recommended the dismissal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Erasmus Alnaa, after uncovering what it describes as serious procurement breaches that caused a financial loss of more than GH¢19.5 million to the state.
The six-member committee submitted its 18-page report to the university’s Governing Council, concluding that Prof. Alnaa should be removed from office “for good cause” under Statute 13(10) of the BTU Statutes.
According to the report, the Vice-Chancellor awarded a GH¢27,967,992 contract in 2024 to M-Business Services Limited for the supply of computers, projectors, and classroom furniture through a sole-sourcing arrangement that lacked approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
The committee found that the contract was awarded without an approved procurement plan, documented needs assessment, legal advice, or authorization from the Central Tender Review Board. It further revealed that the procured items were supplied at grossly inflated prices, resulting in an estimated financial loss of GH¢19,577,594.40.
Investigators also accused Prof. Alnaa of distributing university property without authorization, making purchases without approval, misleading the PPA to justify the procurement process, and providing false information during the committee’s hearings.
During the probe, the Vice-Chancellor reportedly told the committee that he was instructed by an unidentified caller from GETFund to award the contract to M-Business Services Limited. However, he admitted he neither knew the caller’s identity nor attempted to verify the person’s authority.
“The entire procurement process was controlled by the Vice Chancellor without checks, enabling the circumvention of all statutory approval mechanisms,” the report stated.
The committee further found that Prof. Alnaa authorized the disposal of 886 pieces of university furniture without constituting a Board of Survey as required under the Public Procurement Act. He reportedly told investigators that the furniture had been shared among unspecified groups.
Beyond recommending his dismissal, the committee called for the matter to be referred to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) for criminal investigations, including a forensic audit of payments made under the contract and inquiries into the ownership of M-Business Services Limited.
The report also urged the Auditor-General to initiate surcharge proceedings against the Vice-Chancellor for the full contract value of GH¢27.9 million and recommended that no severance or terminal benefits be paid pending the outcome of investigations.
Three other senior university officials were also implicated in the report.
Director of Procurement, Samuel Aduko, was found to have failed in his statutory duties, admitted to false representations made to the PPA, and allegedly misled the committee during its investigations. The committee recommended his suspension, demotion, and referral to professional procurement bodies for disciplinary review.
Director of Works and Physical Development, Engr. Tom Mboya Asigri, was accused of providing false information to the committee and participating in the unlawful disposal of university property. Investigators recommended his suspension and reduction in rank.
Former Acting Director of Finance, Solomon Awariya, was cited for providing inaccurate information to the committee. He was recommended for a formal warning.
The committee, which was established in February 2026 at the directive of Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, conducted six sittings, reviewed procurement records, inspected items supplied under the contract, and heard testimony from eleven individuals.
Investigators observed that a significant number of the procured items remained unallocated nearly two years after delivery and that some items supplied to the university library were unfit for purpose. The committee also concluded that the goods purchased did not align with the university’s actual needs.
“The scale and nature of the breaches could not be explained as procedural errors,” the committee concluded, calling for urgent intervention by accountability institutions to safeguard public resources and restore confidence in the university’s governance.
The Governing Council is expected to consider the recommendations and determine the next course of action in the coming weeks.
