Ken Ofori-Atta answers 16 questions from Parliament
Critics detect inconsistencies in government’s COVID-19 expenditure accounts
The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi says the inconsistencies in government’s account of COVID-19 expenditure is an exposed act of thievery.
Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, presented to parliament the government’s expenditure since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.
But speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show a day after the minister’s address, Sammy Gyamfi said the government has badly been exposed in what he says is a grand attempt to fleece state funds under the guise of COVID-19 expenditure.
He alluded to the inconsistency between previous figures presented by the government and what was presented by the finance minister on Wednesday to back his position.
“I am very heartbroken. I am very sad; I feel like weeping for this country of ours because of the wickedness of the people at the helm of affairs of our country today. The thievery of state resources is becoming too much.
“The cup of Ken Ofori-Atta, President Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Bawumia is full. God is exposing them and that is why they are making a mockery of themselves this way. This document which was presented to the august house of parliament yesterday, it is a mess. This is stealing gone bad. Because the figures don’t add up, the figures are cooked, the figures are contrived with the aim of stealing,” he stated.
Mr Ofori-Atta told parliament on Wednesday that government in total, had spent some GHC12 billion on the fight against COVID-19.
However, some critics have pointed out the disparity between the figure and other figures given by the government over the period.
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For instance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta in 2021 told parliament that a total of GHC22 billion had been spent on the fight against COVID-19.
In March 2022 however, President Akufo-Addo, while addressing parliament gave a reduced figure of GHC17 billion.
These three different figures according to Sammy Gyamfi among other things badly expose the government’s attempt to fleece state coffers.
The NDC National Communications Officer outlined what he said are disparities between revenues accrued to the state including COVID-19 donor funds and the actual expenditure made by the government.
Mr Ofori-Atta on Wednesday went to parliament to provide answers to 16 questions tabled by members of the house for his ministry.
As part of the questions, the minister was asked to provide a detailed account of the government’s COVID-19 expenditures since the outbreak in March 2020.
The Speaker of Parliament, following Ken Ofori-Atta’s address on the government’s COVID-19 expenditure, has directed a probe into the figures presented to the house by the minister.
The Speaker on Wednesday directed Parliament’s joint Committee of Health and Finance to conduct the probe.
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