The opposition National Democratic Congress is accusing the government of misappropriating some funds from the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme and has therefore called for or a special audit into government’s intervention.
The party has also alleged the NPP government has not been able to render account on the amount government spent on free food items, water and sanitation provided for some sections of Ghanaians during the partial lockdown.
“In the interest of transparency and accountability they would have come out. We want a summation of how much has been contributed. We also want to know who has contributed what”.
President Akuffo Addo in March 2020 directed the Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta to prepare for approval by parliament, a Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) which was to address the disruption in the economic activities, the hardship of Ghanaians and to reuse and revitalize industries in Ghana.
Additionally, the government through the Ministries of Finance and Gender, Children and Social Protection, embarked on a food distribution drive to ensure that needy people in areas such as Accra, Kumasi, Kasoa which experienced the partial lockdown lived in comfort.
In a press briefing Monday morning, Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Mr. Ato Forson urged the Auditor- General to commence an investigation and review into some 200 Ghana cedis which was also allocated for the provision of water and sanitation for some affected Ghanaians at Accra, Kumasi and Tema.
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Mr. Forson said government has not rendered any account whatsoever to either parliament or the public on how the funds were used, for which reason Ghanaians are unable to assess whether the objective was attained or not.
Mr. Forson explained that the NDC’s stance in requesting for an audit is to enhance Ghanaians’ confidence in the administration of public funds in order to “encourage more persons, individuals, corporate institutions to donate into the funds to help our collective fight against the virus.”
The party is also demanding “a special audit into the amount of 40 million cedis on food to be investigate, 40.3 million for the procurement of dry food to the vulnerable.”
According to section 16 of Audit Service ACT 2000 (Act 584), the auditor general may in addition to the audit of public account, carry out in the public interest a special audit and shall submit a special audit report undertaken to parliament.
It is on this premise the opposition NDC is making such a demand.
For the NDC, until some special audits are made, “some of the detailed corrupt activities can come out. We are urging the auditor general to pay attention to the CAP.”
Source: Victoria Adonu/ATL FMNEWS
