News:
Minority Leader
February 23, 2022
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has expressed disappointment in the ruling of the first Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu when he threw away a motion he was part of, that sought a bi-partisan enquiry into Ghana’s expenditure on funds to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020.
According to him he is worried for future parliamentary Ad Hoc Committees that would seek under Article 103 of the 1992 constitution to enquire into any matter of public interest, noting that their motion was simple and admitted by the Rt. Hon Speaker.
“Dismissal by the first Deputy Speaker, interesting times in Ghana and sometimes this is what invites chaos into the chamber; a deputy Speaker dismissed application of a motion saying it ought not to be admitted; and I hoped he is not assuming to have more powers than the Rt. Hon Speaker?”
Mr. Iddrisu noted at a press conference organised on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 that both the Health Minister and Finance have not adequately accounted for the COVID expenditure and want Ghanaians to take note.
“I am refereeing to the 2.5 billion Ghanaian cedis announced in the 2022 budget as expenditure over the 2021 period that has not been accounted for anywhere in any budget, or any expenditure during the budget hearing. You heard the Minister of Foreign Affairs say, Minister of Finance spent 65million Ghana cedis on my behalf; it is not a procurement entity of Foreign Affairs. So how were those expenditures committed by what procurement procedures to guarantee value for money?” he queried.
And further noted the Deputy Minister of Finance Abena Osei-Asare attempted to explain but she could not account for 65million Ghana cedis but ended up, with explanation on 21 to 30million Ghana cedis.
Hence a motion was moved, civil society like Ghana Integrity Initiative have presented a damming report on the COVID expenditure and they do not want sunshine on darkness of corruption, “Ghanaians voted for this government and they cannot uphold itself to the values of probity and accountability”
In addition, he pointed out that they can only be disappointed by the ruling of the deputy Speaker and urged his colleagues to be calm, they have lost not even a vote on a motion, “There are many more motions to come; even tomorrow we would move the motion on frontiers which is doing open thievery at the airport, it did not go through any procurement process.
And a probe would expose different prices of different Ministries of nose mask and promise to subject the ruling of the Speaker to thorough scrutiny. “We could not be wrong about Article 191 and 103 (3) which talk about investigation.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com