News:
June 17, 2022
Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has appealed to his colleagues in the Minority to give the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta the benefit of doubt and reschedule the appearing of the Minister on the floor of the House to next week Wednesday, June 22, 2022.
“The day the Finance Minister was supposed to appear that Friday, we did not seat, the House decided not to seat on that very Friday, we need to take our minds to these facts, beyond that there has been some outstanding concerns”.
According to him, the Business Committee programmed the Minister to come before the House but there was communication from the Ministry appealing to them to reschedule his appearance and the Minister has related through the Majority Leader to the Speaker, to next week Wednesday. “It is not the first a Minister with respect is calling for reprograming of his appearance, we should not raise the temperature unnecessarily, and he is going to kill two birds with a stone. He is going to answer all the questions and going to make a statement, let us exercise some restraint”.
Mr. Frank Annoh-Dompreh explained further that the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta would make a statement related to the COVID-19 expenditure and he should be given the benefit of the doubt; “he would do the needful and speak to the question to bring finality to this matter”.
In his remarks the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said he hopes the Minister would be on the floor of the House on Wednesday, he hope God would give them life up to that day and the House should stand down all matters related to the Finance Ministry.
“We demand that he comes in person and not through a Deputy Minister, Ken Ofori Atta come and answer COVID questions and MPs questions in the interest of oversight and accountability in the name of the Republic of Ghana”.
Majority Leader Osei-Kyei-Mensah –Bonsu on his part noted that he agrees Parliament must insist on its responsibility so if anyone raises issue with the Minister coming to the House to account for the expenditure that can only be right.
He was however quick to point out that the Minister is not running away from accountability and nobody should run to that conclusion. “What he has indicated to us, yesterday at parliamentary board meeting, Mr. Speaker we were to relate to the Minister for some additional information and further conversation on some other issues”.
He further pointed out that he was in touch with the sector Minister who got in touch with him in Parliament around 9:00pm and they left around 10:00pm following from that he related to the Speaker the conversation that has gone on between himself and the Finance Minister.
“And what he pleaded we did for him with respect to the question that have been filled, it was whiles we were in the office that he got to know responses to the questions have been dumped in his House, he was not aware that they had finished with the responses. He said to me he need to read and do some consultations after he has read just so that, it would be in sink with the responses others have given”.
Again, before he could see the responses they were already brought to Parliament so he pleaded that he should see them first and appreciate what the technical people have brought and appreciate them, before coming to the House for him to be able to give comprehensive response.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com