News:
Hon Clarence Kortu Momolu Massaquoi
May 17, 2022
Second rapporteur of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament’s, Public Account Committee (PAC), Clarence Kortu Momolu Massaquoi has given indications that the Committee would emulate their various National Assemblies by holding public hearings.
According to him this would enable the Community citizens appreciate how their resources have been utilised as well as functions of Parliaments around the world to have an oversight and ensure resources are well utilised.
In an interview with Ghanamps.com at the on-going delocalised joint committee in Lome-Togo he noted that the citizenry is entitled to information, a right to be informed and observe and see how the process are being conducted.
“We should have public hearing for different intuitions under ECOWAS and I am hopeful it would be captured in our next Ordinary Session which comes off May 24, 2022 and I am happy that we are having our meeting just before the Ordinary Session”, he said.
And further pointed out that institutions like the Community Court of Justice are being audited, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), and the Parliament itself, “we cannot be watching other institutions whiles we are not being watched”.
Hon Massaquoi was of the firm believe that Community Parliament would make itself available for criticism and evaluation so that their spending is in line with what the law says. “Looking at the audit report if the report are submitted and nothing is done about them those audit report themselves become subject of corruption because the Community resources are spent on the Auditor General and Auditors to conduct these audits”.
Also with the report coming it is expected that there would be actions taken, if not done it can be said that their inaction itself becomes corruption; there would be steps taken to correct the system and prevent wastage.
The Second rapporteur again pointed out that, the ECOWAS commission has three hundred million annually in budget, supporting the staffs all of its programmes. It therefore makes no sense to collect all these resources from the citizenry and those of them entrusted with authority to manage the resources leave it and allow the wind to blow it away; that would be unfair to the citizenry.
“We would have public hearing to authenticate what the auditor general has written but this meeting is to introduce the audit report and listen to the commissioner of finance and it is left for the Speaker to ensure that the findings are brought out to the public and the correct measures are taken one way or the other if any wrong doing is discovered”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Lome-Togo