News:
January 17, 2020
Member of Parliament for Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem and a member of the Public Account Committee, (PAC) Samuel Atta-Mills has said the Committee should consider using the services of the police going forward.
According to Atta-Mills when an ordinary person on the street steals from a shop the person is called a thief, however public servants misappropriate funds and made to refund, which is not the case for the ordinary person.
“When there are problems the politician is blamed, but we do not sign cheques, it is done by the civil servants, Municipal Chief Executives are politically appointed they are made to respond”.
He said this in an interview at the ongoing PAC public hearing, when issues of infractions keeps occurring in the various Assemblies as the Committee examines how, Assemblies utilized the Common Fund as it appears in the Auditor-Generals report for the year 2015 to 2016.
As to what can be done to address the issues of infractions in the Assemblies, Ministries, Agencies, and Departments, he noted that it is an issue of indiscipline from the top to down.
“Where people feel they are politically connected to people at the higher level, but this is a country of rule and law, we need to crake the whip to compel people to do what they are supposed to do”.
He further pointed out that as a country, we should not tolerate indiscipline from any quarters, “we have given you funds, come and explain why you misappropriated funds given to you, what is the difference between that and being an armed robber? There is not a difference”.
He also expressed worry over the conduct of some Assemblies, showing arrogance by not responding to the invitation of PAC, all because it is an election year.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com