News:
September 29, 2020
The Minority in Parliament is demanding the Acting Auditor-General to submit to the House audited report of 2019 as a matter of urgency as it is a constitutional requirement.
According to the Minority, reports of the Audited Accounts of Government for last year under Article 187 (5) and the Audit Service Act, 2000 Act 584 should be submitted in the interest of accountability and transparency.
At a press conference on Monday, September 28, 2020 addressed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu noted that, the abrupt and ill-advised decision of the president in directing the Auditor-General to proceed on his accumulated leave was not intended to gag the A-G in drawing attention to the many anomalies perpetrated by government.
The Minority expressed concern that these delays may be deliberate for the primary purpose of avoiding further embarrassment to the government, and it is their hope that the delays are not intended to cover-up malfeasance on the part of government because this year is an election year.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu emphasized that the AG is enjoined to draw the attention of the House to instances where public funds are not properly accounted for, or there is deficiency through fraud, default or mistake by any person.
“The Auditor-General shall, within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to which of the accounts mentioned in clause (2) of this article relates, submit his report to the to parliament and shall, in that part, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of parliament”, article 187 (5).
“We further call on the president on the president to direct the Acting Auditor-General to urgently submit the said reports to Parliament for consideration and report just as he directed the Auditor-General to proceed on his statutory leave”.
Again, accountability, transparency and good governance obliges all of us to ensure that the AG complies with tenets and dictates of the constitution and laws of Ghana. And we call on well-meaning Ghanaians to join the Minority in compelling the A-G to comply with the laws of Ghana and submit his reports to the House for scrutiny. Anything short of this will amount to attempts to cover up wrong-doing by Government, he added.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com