The Minority in Parliament is accusing the government and the Ministry of Health of dodgy handling of the funds received for the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
According to the Caucus, receipt and expenditure on the COVID cash have not been transparent but shrouded in some opaque excuses and explanations.
Ranking Member of the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, who made the accusation indicated the Minority Caucus has filed a Private Members Motion for the House to constitute a bipartisan probe into the entire receipt and expenditure of the COVID -19 fund.
Speaking on the recent revelation by the World Bank Country Director that Ghana has been given not less than US$560 million to fight COVID; an initial US$430 million followed by an additional US$130 million, Mr. Akandoh stated this is one of the reasons it has so much doubt on the use of the COVID cash.
“We think it has not been transparent. There should account indicating what we have received and how we have spent it. We think there hasn’t been proper accountability with regards to COVID.
“There are a lot of issues and the remarks by the Country Director is just one out of the many reasons that we have received not less than $560 million,” he said.
Mr. Akandoh noted that combing through the 2021 and 2022 budgets and making inferences from what the World Bank Country Director said, then there is a serious problem at hand because the money received does not tally with the claims of the World Bank officer.
The Ranking Member argued there is a need to bring the issue to its logical conclusion, especially when there are issues about spending about GH¢32 million on meetings.
“We have seen issues about spending GH¢600 million on Agenda 111 even before the grounds were broken for the constructions of the hospitals.”
“These are serious issues that I think we must look into.
“As this is not enough, the World Bank Director disclosed that the amount of money was given to Ghana to sensitize the Ghanaian people on COVID-19. To educate the people but it is you the Ghanaian media who were compelled to offer free slots to sensitize the country without the government paying a dime.
“So what did they use the money for? But this is just a tip of the iceberg,” he added.
Mr. Akandoh stressed that as far as receipts and expenditures on COVID 19 are concerned there is more to it than what the government has made public and assured the Minority will continue to demand accountability on behalf of the Ghanaian public.
