Parliament rejects govt's $1 billion loan until Ofori-Atta accounts for COVID-19 cash

He said all transactions with the Ministry are on hold till a proper account of the COVID-19 funds have accounted for and gave the Minister up to Wednesday, June 22, 2022, to appear before the House to account.

Bagbin said a lot of questions have been asked about how the government spent the funds, questions he said require answers from the Finance Minister.

He said Ofori-Atta has not been able to show up in Parliament to give a breakdown of the utilization of the funds.

"Yes, last week, for good reasons, [his appearance in parliament] wasn’t possible and usually the Business Committee is given the opportunity to do the allotting. So the Minister for Finance was allotted today to come and answer a number of questions. The Minister is not available today, we are told.

"The Minister spoke to me about why he is not available today but before today, I had given a directive and that directive was to the effect that the Minister should appear before this House to account for monies that we approved for him to use to lead the country as a ministry for us to see how we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic."

"A lot of questions have been raised in respect of that so he should come to account to the good people of how that state resources have been applied by his Ministry to the benefit of the people. I did indicate that until that is done, the motion that requested the approval of this house, for more monies to be given to him, that is his ministry, for the purpose of COVID-19 be on hold until he answers the questions, I think that still holds.

Alban Bagbin Pulse Ghana

"I will go further to say that until the answer is provided until he goes through the accountability process, we will not take that motion. With respect to the questions, well, today he has another request before us, that will also be affected, until he comes to respond to the questions and to submit the statement, given an explanation, as to how that money has been applied, we will not entertain any business from that ministry, mark my words," Bagbin noted.

NDC MPs on COVID-19 expenditure

Earlier, the Minority charged the Auditor-General to undertake a special audit into the GH₵280.3 million that was allocated by the government for the provision of food, water, and sanitation under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme.

According to the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson, the media must hold the government accountable for huge financial resources entrusted into its hands during this COVID-19 period.

Parliament of Ghana Pulse Ghana

He said, "unprecedented levels of profligacy, waste, and corruption Ghanaians have witnessed under the Akufo-Addo government in the last three and a half years."

NPP MP Joe Wise declines probe

But Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament rejected a motion filed by the NDC MPs for investigations into the use of COVID-19 funds.

Joe Wise dismissing the motion said "All the committees of the house including the Public Accounts Committee are bipartisan, and the Public Accounts Committee is designed by nature to be chaired by members of the Minority.

"In all its form, the Public Accounts Committee, if it is minded to investigate anything related to the Covid-19 expenditure, fully sees to the authority and power to investigate that, particularly because all the accounting of it has been provided for in the budget which budget has been provided by the House and is before the committee.

"My view is that this motion ought not to have been admitted, and it's improperly before the House."

Bagbin questions Joseph Osei-Owusu

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin questioned Joseph Osei-Owusu's decision to reject the motion filed by the Minority for investigations into the use of COVID-19 funds.

He described the attitude of Joseph Osei-Owusu to overrule his rulings as unconstitutional, illegal, and offensive.

COVID-19 funds distributed to NPP members

Earlier, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and the NDC MPs filed a motion after viral audio from a regional executive of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) suggests that COVID-19 funds were distributed to party functionaries.

He said "this is just the tip of the iceberg. We were here when our Foreign Affairs Committee reported how monies adding up to about GH¢66 million were spent on behalf of the ministry. Since when has the Ministry of Finance begun a procurement entity for the Ministry of Foreign affairs?

"Nana Akufo-Addo is presiding over the gigantic spending and disbursement of COVID-19 expenditure. We will renew our position. We will refile the motion."