News:
April 1, 2026
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Samuel Atta Mills, has issued a firm directive to ministers who have failed to appear before the committee during its ongoing hearings: they must travel to Tamale to answer for infractions cited in the Auditor-General’s report.
“You have been invited to Parliament in Accra to answer for these infractions. Yet, for reasons best known to you, you have failed to appear. You must therefore proceed to Tamale to face the committee when it sits again on April 7, 2026,” Mills said.
The lawmaker expressed frustration over what he described as disregard for parliamentary procedure. He noted that invitations were sent through official channels and that no excuses had been offered by the absent ministers.
Mills dismissed suggestions that the ministers might be avoiding indictment, stating that no minister has yet been indicted in connection with the committee’s work. He attributed the no-shows to arrogance.
According to Mills, the matters under scrutiny are of significant concern to President John Mahama, who referred the breaches to Parliament for action. He warned that ministers who fail to appear in Tamale will face a formal citation for “refusal to attend,” which will be included in the committee’s final report to the president.
“If you think you were appointed so you could misbehave, you will be shocked that you could also be disappointed,” he said.
Mills confirmed that the ministers of Fisheries, Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts were absent from Monday’s sitting. While noting that the Ministry of Fisheries currently has no deputy minister, he pointed out that the Tourism Ministry does have a deputy who could have appeared in the minister’s stead.
The PAC is scheduled to continue its public hearings in Tamale on April 7.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com