Accra: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has directed the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to initiate the arrest of Madam Yaa Serwaa Gyan, a geologist who failed to fulfill her bond obligations after completing a government-sponsored study programme.
According to Ghana News Agency, the 2024 Auditor-General's Report indicated that Madam Gyan vacated her post without serving the required bond term, leaving an outstanding bond value of GHS120,347.03. She was granted a two-year study leave with pay from January 2021 to November 14, 2022, tied to a two-year bond. However, after returning to the Ministry in November 2022, she vacated her post on October 10, 2023, without fulfilling her bond term.
Ranking Member Mr. Samuel Atta-Mills directed the Ministry to report back within 30 days on progress made in enforcing the directive, emphasizing that if she has relocated to the USA, the police should be involved to locate her there. "The government cannot pay for people to go for study leave, and then, when they finish, they abscond. That is not fair," he remarked. He also instructed the police to visit Madam Gyan's guarantor and inform the public about developments within 30 days.
Meanwhile, Mr. Richard Kwaku Boadu, the Director of Finance at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, informed PAC that efforts were underway to recover the funds from Madam Gyan. He stated that the Ministry was determined to ensure a full refund to the state, though attempts to reach Madam Gyan and her guarantor have been unsuccessful, with reports indicating she has been residing in the United States for over a year.
The PAC public hearing, scheduled between Tuesday, August 19, and Tuesday, August 26, will consider the Auditor-General's report on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for the year ending December 31, 2024. The Monday hearing included appearances from the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and the Office of the Head of Civil Service.
Before proceeding with the hearing, the Committee held a moment of silence to honor the late Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, the Environment Minister, who tragically died with seven others in a helicopter crash on August 06, 2025. He was a member of the PAC in the Eighth Parliament. The six-day public hearing will examine the Auditor-General's report, which highlighted significant issues, including Ghana's public debt and weaknesses in financial reporting and asset management.
