JoyNews has responded to accusations of unprofessional reporting leveled by the University of Ghana (UG) and the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-UG) following its coverage of the Auditor-General’s controversial payroll audit.
The media house insists its reporting was accurate and based on verified findings from the official audit report, which alleged UG overstated employee compensation by GH¢59.2 million between 2022 and 2024.
[embedded content]The Auditor-General’s report, released on May 16, 2025, revealed that UG submitted salary claims totaling GH¢1.09 billion, but only GH¢1.03 billion was approved after verification, leaving a discrepancy of GH¢59.24 million flagged as a potential overstatement.
UG management and UTAG-UG have vehemently denied the claims, arguing that the flagged amounts were legitimate payments from internally generated funds (IGF) used to supplement government payroll allocations, particularly for staff like post-retirement faculty.
In a rebuttal, JoyNews stood by its reporting, stating that its coverage was based solely on the Auditor-General’s official findings.
According to JoyNews Editor, Evans Mensah, UG’s objections should be directed at the audit process, not the media.
“They have been going on this media tirade, accusing JoyNews and our report, but nowhere have I heard that they have taken the actual step that could change the findings of the Auditor-General, as in writing formally to the Auditor General, registering their protest and offering the clarity they claim they have. I haven’t heard any single member of the University community say that they have taken that step. Rather, they are holding press conferences to give clarifications and issuing statements that doesn’t really go to the heart of trying to clarify,” he explained.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, he insisted that the media outlet adhered to journalistic ethics by accurately reflecting the report’s conclusions, which were a matter of public record.
“But a few fundamental questions must be asked, because they questioned our report. Did the Auditor General, which is a constitutional legal body, find that the University of Ghana overstated its compensation by GHs59.2 million? As far as the document is concerned, yes, and that is factual. Until the Public Accounts Committee looks into the matter, hears it, and discounts the findings, it is the fact, and nothing that the University of Ghana says right now will change what has been put in an audit document transmitted to Parliament, other than to offer clarification…. Their quarrel is really with the Auditor General, and not with the journalist that simply reported the document that had been published by the Auditor-General.
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