The Majority Leader has rejected claims that the Finance Minister is “running away from accounting for the government’s expenditure on Covid-19”.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said no one should peddle such allegations.
The Suame lawmaker’s defense follows the failure of the Finance Minister to appear before the House on Thursday, June 16, to answer 16 questions asked about his Ministry’s activities.
But reacting to some concerns from the Minority, the leader of government’s business insisted that the Minister will appear before the House on Wednesday, June 22.
The Minister is not running away from accountability. So let nobody rush to that conclusion. He is not running away from accountability. What he has communicated to us, and indeed he only asked for additional time.”
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has ruled that the House will not consider any requests from the Finance Ministry until Ken Ofori-Atta appears before the House to account for Covid-19 expenditure and answer other questions from MPs.
Mr. Alban Bagbin, speaking on the floor of the House on Thursday, said the Minister must appear before the House or suffer rejection of requests from the Finance Ministry.
“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…Today, he has another request before us that will also be affected.
“Until he comes to respond to the question, and to submit the statement giving an explanation as to how that money has been applied, we will not entertain any business from that Ministry. Mark my words,” Bagbin said.
The Minority MPs were incensed over the development, as they have accused Mr. Ofori-Atta of disrespecting the House.
Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said the failure of Mr Ofori-Atta to appear before the House on Thursday to account for the government’s Covid-19 expenditure is evident that he is not fit for the position he occupies.
“That has been his nature; I am not surprised. There are a lot of outstanding questions for the Minister responsible for Finance, and sometimes at the last minute, he won’t show up.
“In any jurisdiction, this man would have been fired long ago by the President. He is not being fired by the President because he is keeping the parochial interest of the President.”
Source myjoyonline
