GACC Trains Journalists on Auditor-General’s Performance Audit of NPA
The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has trained journalists on the Auditor-General’s Performance Audit Report on the operations of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), as part of efforts to strengthen media reporting on accountability, regulation and value for money in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.
The training, held in Accra on Monday, September 28, 2026, was organised by the GACC in partnership with the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) and Transparency International-Ghana (TI-Ghana), with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The engagement sought to deepen journalists’ understanding of the NPA Performance Audit Report and equip them with the knowledge required to accurately report on its findings and follow up on the implementation of recommendations.
Speaking at the training, the Deputy Director-General in charge of the Performance and Special Audit Department of the Ghana Audit Service, Samuel Frimpong-Manso, said the initiative provided an important opportunity to examine the operations of the NPA and its role in regulating the downstream petroleum sector.
He said the GACC, in collaboration with ACEP and Transparency International-Ghana, with support from the FCDO, had supported the Ghana Audit Service in undertaking the performance audit.
Mr Frimpong-Manso stressed the importance of petroleum products to Ghana’s economy, noting their critical role in transportation, power generation, domestic and industrial activities, as well as fishing.
He said the importance of petroleum products made the NPA’s responsibility to regulate the downstream petroleum sector effectively and economically particularly significant.
“The NPA's responsibility to regulate the downstream petroleum sector effectively and economically is important,” he said.
According to him, the NPA’s mandate includes licensing, monitoring and enforcing official standards among petroleum service providers while ensuring consumer protection, accountability, product quality and safety.
He said the performance audit was undertaken to assess whether the NPA’s operations were aligned with its legal mandate and regulatory responsibilities.
“This performance audit is therefore primary, as it assesses whether the NPA's operations align with its legal mandate and regime,” he said.
Media urged to scrutinise audit findings
Mr Frimpong-Manso said the engagement with journalists was particularly important because the media play a critical role in promoting transparency and accountability.
“The media play a crucial role in promoting transparency and accountability,” he said.
He urged journalists to study the audit report thoroughly to ensure that their subsequent reporting on its findings was accurate, balanced and informed.
He also encouraged participants to pay close attention to the presentations and discussions during the training, noting that the knowledge gained would help them properly interpret and communicate the findings of the audit.
According to him, the engagement was expected to deepen journalists’ understanding of the audit results and contribute to broader discussions on strengthening regulation, accountability, efficiency and value for money in the downstream petroleum sector.
Journalists develop stories from audit findings.
The programme featured a presentation on “Understanding the Performance Audit Report on the Operations of the NPA”, followed by a detailed examination of key audit findings by officials of the Ghana Audit Service.
Participants subsequently took part in an open forum where they sought clarification and discussed issues arising from the audit report.
As part of the practical component of the training, journalists were divided into groups to develop story ideas based on selected findings contained in the NPA audit report.
The Policy Lead for Petroleum and Conventional Energy at ACEP, Kodzo Yaotse, also made a presentation on the NPA audit report before participants presented their group work and received feedback.
The training concluded with a post-evaluation exercise and closing remarks by the GACC.
The initiative forms part of a project titled “An Anti-Corruption Initiative for Enhancing Governance and Accountability", which seeks to build partnerships and strengthen efforts in the fight against corruption.
Mr Frimpong-Manso expressed the hope that the engagement would contribute to more informed media reporting on the NPA audit and promote wider public discussions on accountability, effective regulation and the prudent use of public resources.
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