Agriculture Minister, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka
The 2024 Auditor General’s Report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has revealed gaps in the management of vehicles and staff study-leave-with-pay, prompting recommendations for corrective action.
The audit found that five of the 24 vehicles and 41 motorbikes allocated to Freetown-based staff were not available for physical verification. Officials have recommended that the Transport Officer ensure the missing vehicles and motorbikes are presented for inspection.
The review of staff on study-leave-with-pay in 2024 uncovered further anomalies. Five staff members received a total salary of NLe532,788 without submitting required documents such as academic progress reports and bond agreements.
Additionally, three staff members granted approval in 2019 to pursue six-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, extended their study leave without submitting annual progress reports, yet were paid a total of NLe347,292.
The audit recommended that the Assistant Director of Human Resources ensure submission of all required bond agreements and progress reports. Failure to do so could lead to recovery of the salaries paid, totaling NLe347,748, to the Consolidated Fund with evidence submitted for audit inspection.
