The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), in collaboration with Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), has built the capacity of selected journalists across the Greater Accra Region.
The one-day workshop aimed to help journalists better interpret the Auditor-General’s constitutional mandate (Article 187), analyse audit findings, and use the CitizensEye App to support evidence-based reporting on governance and anti-corruption issues.
The workshop, organised under the ACEP-led project, “An Anti-Corruption Initiative for Enhancing Governance and Accountability,” was funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Beauty Emefa Narteh, stated that the training was meant to equip journalists with practical tools to scrutinise audit reports and track actions taken by state agencies or institutions.
She urged the participating journalists to endeavour to share the knowledge acquired from the work with their colleagues at their various newsrooms in order to broaden the impact of the training.
Policy Lead for Petroleum and Conventional Energy at ACEP, Kodzo Yaotse, noted that the session was designed to deepen journalists’ grasp of the Ghana Audit Service’s mandate and the tools available for promoting accountability, particularly in addressing infractions highlighted in audit reports.
He explained that the training would not only enhance the media’s technical capacity but also position them to better engage with experts and educate the public.
Assistant Director of Audit and Information Officer at the Ghana Audit Service, Frederick Lokko, called on the journalists to exercise greater accuracy and context in reporting cash irregularities cited in the Auditor-General’s Reports, stressing that not all infractions amount to misappropriation of public funds.
He said while the media has played an important role in strengthening Ghana’s democracy, greater precision is needed when reporting on audit findings, particularly cash irregularities.
“When we say irregularity, we are referring to something done contrary to law. But it is not in all cases that cash irregularities amount to misappropriation.
“Often, the public hears headlines like ‘cash irregularities of 25 billion’ and assumes that amount has been stolen. That is not always the case.” he explained
He noted that some irregularities arise from transactions undertaken outside the approved GIFMIS system, which, although unlawful, do not imply that funds were diverted into private pockets.
He urged journalists to read the full audit reports, including the Auditor-General’s recommendations, to distinguish between infractions caused by negligence, poor documentation, or procedural breaches and those that border on misappropriation before reporting.
The workshop also exposed journalists to the various types of audits—financial, compliance, performance, and information systems.
Fredrick Lokko highlighted that performance audits focus on economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, often assessing whether public projects deliver value and impact.
“Sometimes citizens care less about how much was spent and more about why a completed classroom leaks when it rains,”
Your reports should capture these dimensions because they speak directly to public interest.” He added.
CitizensEye App
Director of Audits at the Ghana Audit Service, Madam Roberta Ntim, highlighted the legal and operational foundation of the CitizensEye App, describing it as a crucial platform that allows the public to report suspected cases of mismanagement, fraud, waste, and service delivery failures.
She explained that the app is backed by Section 51 of the Audit Service Regulations, 2011 (C.I. 70), which mandates the Auditor-General to create a system through which the public can submit information on irregularities in public offices.
“The app provides an additional tool that allows citizens—especially those receiving public services—to report issues directly to the Auditor-General,
“These reports help us identify public interest areas, prioritise audits, and detect red flags.” She said.
She said that reports submitted through the app influence the Service’s audit planning and resource allocation.
Where reports point to widespread issues—such as failing infrastructure, poor service delivery, or allegations of staff misconduct—the Audit Service is able to direct its attention to those areas.
She further encouraged the media to help create awareness about the app’s usefulness, noting that usage spikes whenever public education is intensified.
The capacity-building initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to improve media literacy on audit processes and encourage more informed reporting that strengthens public accountability.
