The President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, has stated that even before the Finance Minister came to present the accounts of the Covid-19 expenditure, he had little faith in what was to be presented.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, last week presented to Parliament accounts of the Covid-19 funds after several attempts to get the Ministry to account Ghanaians failed.
The socio-political commentator believes that accounting for the Covid-19 funds should have started long before the Finance Minister came to Parliament to present just figures.
Franklin noted that: “Look, from the moment questions were asked about how some of these interventions were being procured, don’t forget the Sputnik Vaccines deal, that was when should have started this whole thing about Accountability from the get go”.
The President of AMANI reference to how other countries on the continent treated corruption related to Covid-19 funds and its related issues.
“In other countries immediately there was any indication of some abuse of covid funds, either the President, actually the President ordered investigations”.
“In Malawi, we recall when the Health Minister was accused of spending just $750 in covid funds as allowance when he first travelled with the President to South Africa, the President relieved him of his post. In fact, other four officials were arrested for inflating covid related relieve items by the prices” he added.
Mr Cudjoe further added: “In Uganda same thing occurred. As soon as it was rumored that some ministers had sort of eluded in order to share covid funds, they were immediately rounded up to investigate them. In Kenya, you recall that the medical suppliers authority were alleged to have spoon-fed almost $400 million meant to be used for the purchase of medical equipment, the Kenya Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission immediately went into action and revealed further irregularities of almost $72 million. The Auditor General of Kenya reported Covid-19 related expenditure misuse almost $69 million”.
Parliament had to use coercive means, by blocking the request for more funds from the Finance Ministry, to get the Minister to come and account for the Covid-19 funds.
For this reason Mr. Franklin Cudjoe added that: “These incidents I am mentioning to you occurred when these funds were immediately mobilised or were being used. None of these officials were needed to be urged or begged before coming to account for these funds”.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Big Issue yesterday, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe mentioned that Government should have started investigations when some incidents occurred; like the Sputnik deal and a few others.
“I am saying we had a situation where Stupnik Vaccines were procured at $19 instead of $10, we have had incidents in this country were political appointees or political activists have been on audio talking about how covid funds have been shared not to long ago. That was when we should have started doing proper accounting”, Franklin said.
The presentation by the Finance Minister is not enough accounting to Mr. Cudjoe: “For me, I am not necessarily one of those who is taken immediately to say that, okay because Finance Minister went and reported numbers, well that is fine and done”.
