Minority to pressurize govt to account for misused COVID-19 funds

The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu in the Northern Region, A.B.A Fuseini says the Minority will mount pressure on the government to demand for accountability on the COVID-19 expenditure.

The Auditor General in its 2020 report on the government’s Covid-19 expenses revealed that out of the US$ 2.5 billion mobilised for the fight against the pandemic, only 25 percent representing GH¢5.5 million was used on health.

The balance was spent on government programmes such as Free SHS and LEAP, among others.

The legislator while speaking on some actions to be taken by the minority in the third session of the 8th Parliament said, the government will have to come clean on the misappropriated funds.

“I am sure that you have seen the works of the minority through the work of the Auditor General’s report in which there has been massive corruption with COVID-19 funds. The NPP government has looted the funds and sharing among their supporters. This is one of the urgent matters the house will be pursuing when it resumes. I can assure you that, it is going to be fireworks.”

In addition, some of the funds were spent on unapproved expenditures or purchases that are yet to be delivered.

The report by the Auditor General thus recommended that such amounts are recovered to the state.

Already, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by the leadership of the minority caucus in Parliament, says it will today, Tuesday, February 7, 2023, embark on a public hearing followed by a roadshow to sensitise Ghanaians on the government’s expenditure on COVID-19 and the current economic crisis.

According to the party, it will engage both the finance and health committees in the public hearing to explain the implications of the COVID-19 expenditure.

The move comes on the back of some infractions cited in the Auditor General’s report on the government’s COVID-19 expenditure.