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.
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.
Speaking on 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.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
