The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has mandated Anlo-Afiadanyigba Senior High School to immediately disburse GH₵10,802 to five casual workers who were systematically underpaid. This directive follows a parliamentary review of the Auditor-General’s report, which revealed the school’s administrative authorities violated national labor and wage laws by paying the workers GH₵250 monthly for nine months in the 2024 fiscal year, well below the statutory baseline of GH₵490.
Background of Underpayment
The Auditor-General’s report detailed a significant discrepancy in the wages paid to the school’s temporary staff. During the 2024 fiscal year, five casual employees received a monthly salary of GH₵250.
This amount fell considerably short of the national statutory baseline for casual laborers, which was GH₵490 per month during the same period. The underpayment meant these vulnerable staff members were deprived of nearly half of their legally entitled earnings.
School Management’s Defense and Committee’s Rebuttal
School management appeared before the PAC to address the findings. They attempted to mitigate the infraction by stating that remedial steps had been taken.
Management informed the committee that the affected workers’ salaries were adjusted to GH₵450 per month in 2025. However, this defense was quickly challenged.
Committee members pointed out that the revised 2025 salary of GH₵450 still fell below the current year’s revised national minimum wage standard. The justifications offered by the school were consequently dismissed by the committee.
PAC’s Directive and Warning
The committee issued a firm order for the school authorities to calculate and refund the outstanding financial differences to the workers. A strict timeline was set for this disbursement.
Mr. Samuel Atta-Mills, the Ranking Member of the Committee, strongly criticized the school’s leadership. He linked the underpayment of security personnel to broader issues of recurring thefts in public second-cycle schools.
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