Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu has stated the speed with which 1st Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu threw a Minority-sponsored Private Members’ Motion seeking an investigation into COVID expenditures is part of a corruption-covering agenda.
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, he said, is keen to keep the light of accountability away from what it is doing.
“What they have done is to say that don’t shine the light on the darkness of corruption,” he stated.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday after the Deputy Speaker’s ruling, the Minority leader indicated Civil Society Groups, Send Ghana and Ghana Integrity Initiative have just launched damning reports into the government’s COVID-19 expenditure.
According to him, before the revelation of these CSOs, the Minority has been demanding transparency and accountability in the utilization of COVID resources.
He stated that neither the Minister of Finance nor Ministers responsible for sectors including the Health Minister have adequately accounted for the expenditure of COVID resources.
He argued the GH¢2.5 billion announced in the 2022 budget as expenditure over the 2021 period has not been accounted for anywhere; in any budget or in any expenditure.
He said, “During the budget hearing you heard a Minister for Foreign Affairs said the Minister of Finance spent GH¢65 million on their behalf. The Minister of Finance is not a procurement entity for the Foreign Affairs Ministry.”
“So how were those expenditures committed and by what procurement procedures to guarantee value for money? Even when the Deputy Minister for Finance, Abena Osei ASare attempted to explain, she could not account for the GH¢65 million; she ended at some GH¢21- 30 million,” he said.
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu noted it is for this reason the Minority moved the Private Members’ Motion and described the 1st Deputy Speaker’s ruling as very disappointing for the country.
He cautioned the precedent that has been set by Deputy Speaker Osei Owusu may hinder any Committee to be appointed in Parliament in future to probe underhand or unsatisfactory dealing or performance of sector ministers.
He questioned if this is the government Ghanaians voted for, which cannot uphold itself to the values of probity and accountability.
“We can only be disappointed by ruling of the Deputy Speaker but we did not lose a motion because we would have defeated them today, but there are many more motions to come,” he added.
He disclosed the Minority will move a Motion to investigate the activities of Frontier Healthcare Services Limited at the Kotoka International Airport, which he described as open thievery.