Member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and National Organizer Hopeful, Henry Osei Akoto, has reacted to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Attah’s latest appearance on the floor of Parliament accounting for the government’s Covid 19
expenditure.
According to him, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by Nana Akufo-Addo have toyed with Ghanaians for a long and need to be “grilled” with the constitution of the country.
In an interview on Happy98.9 FM’s “Epa Hoa Daben” socio-political talk show with host Don Kwabena Prah, registered his doubt over the Finance Minister’s accountability of the country’s expenditure on Covid.
“We were all asked to sit in our homes for three weeks during the peak periods of pandemic. Fortunately, we saw and heard that our government have toured around and have received a loan of over 12 billion dollars. We also witnessed how NGOs and other organizations supported the country with funds including the worthy citizens among us. Now after all the efforts and endless support, this is what we get to show?” he quizzed.
He reiterated that Ghanaians deserved a better approach and detailed accounts from the finance minister.
“I always say Ghana is for us all but we are governed by the law. We spent several weeks and months even pleading to the government to account for their expenses. Now Ken Ofori Attah comes and decides to take the country and the rest of the world into his own world of manipulation,” he said.
According to the National Organizer Hopeful for the opposition NDC, what he regards as an “abysmal accountability and shoddy approach” will affect the country’s international dealings in the future
“Monies over Ghc12 billion have been squandered. This is no child’s play with such monies. I noticed in Ken Ofori Attah’s presentation that I billion was to carter for household and stuff like that. This is no joke but what did we really use these huge monies for. This proves to the people we borrowed from that we are not serious with development as a nation,” he added.
The government’s reports for the Covid-19 expenses, according to the minority in parliament, are incoherent.
The Caucus claims that President Akufo-Addo and the Finance Minister provided differing estimates of the amount spent on the pandemic.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, remarked that the discrepancy is intolerable when participating in talks over the Finance Minister’s presentation in Parliament on Wednesday, June 22.
“Mr. Speaker, the Minister at page 4 in his statement accounts for GHS19.3 billion as programme support received then Mr. Speaker when you come to expenditure on Covid, he accounts for GHS12 billion, then the President accounts for GHS17.7 billion. So where is the missing money? GHS17.7 billion against GHS12 billion, where is the money?,” he quizzed.
Meanwhile, Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, has stated that the government has managed the COVID-19 monies with transparency and caution.
He claimed all the costs were covered in the previous Budget Statement when he spoke yesterday in Parliament on how the government used COVID-19 funds.
By: Jude Tackie
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Enough of the child’s play; the laws must work – NDC’s Osei Akoto
