Ghana Education Service directs Regional Directors to prepare staff affected by the 2025 payroll audit for final verification by the Ghana Audit Service as part of efforts to eliminate ghost names from the public payroll.
The (GES) has directed all Regional Directors of Education to notify staff whose salaries were previously terminated during the 2025 nationwide payroll audit to prepare for a final verification exercise by the .
The directive forms part of ongoing government efforts to sanitise the public sector payroll and eliminate irregularities within the wage system.
Final Verification Exercise Underway
In a letter dated March 12, 2026, the stated that the follow-up verification exercise is being conducted for staff whose salaries were stopped during the nationwide payroll audit but whose employment status remains unresolved.
The letter was signed by , Acting Deputy Director-General in charge of Management Services.
According to the Service, the directive follows a communication from the dated March 5, 2026, indicating that audit teams would undertake a final verification exercise for affected personnel.
Nationwide Exercise Across Public Institutions
The verification exercise began on March 9, 2026, and is currently being carried out across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in all 16 regions of .
Officials from the are expected to visit institutions to confirm the employment status of staff whose salaries were terminated but who remain unaccounted for in the payroll system.
GES management therefore instructed Regional Directors to alert affected staff in their jurisdictions and ensure they prepare the necessary documentation ahead of the audit teams’ visits.
Directive Described as Urgent
According to the statement, the verification exercise must be treated with urgency to ensure smooth coordination when auditors arrive at the respective institutions.
The communication also stressed that staff affected by the audit must make themselves available for verification during the exercise.
Copies of the directive were circulated to several senior officials within the , including the Director-General, the Acting Deputy Director-General for Quality and Access, the Director of Human Resource Management, the Chief Internal Auditor, the Acting Director of Finance, and the Head of the Payroll Unit at the GES headquarters in .
Efforts to Clean the Public Sector Payroll
The nationwide payroll audit forms part of broader government measures to identify payroll irregularities, eliminate ghost names, and strengthen accountability in the public sector wage bill.
Public sector payroll audits have been conducted periodically in to improve transparency and ensure that only legitimate employees remain on the government payroll.
Education sector analysts say the ongoing verification exercise will help confirm the status of affected staff and support efforts to maintain integrity within the national payroll system.
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