<<Print>>

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Ranking Member, Finance Committee in Parliament, has called on the Auditor General (AG) to audit government's Covid-19 expenditure following some conflicting figures.

The former Deputy Minister of Finance says "in the recent State of the Nation’s Address by his Excellency the President, he is also quoting a different number of 18 point something billion...The Minister responsible for Finance has appeared before Parliament and has said to us that they spent GH₵17.1 billion...So, in one breath, the Vice President is quoting 8.1, the finance minister is quoting 17.1, the President is also quoting a different figure. So, we are having three numbers being bundled around. Who is telling the people of Ghana the truth”? 

He further stressed that, "the only way we can get to the bottom of this matter is for us to sit as a country and audit that Covid-19 expenditure. We have three different numbers, all of us don’t know how much we spent and no ministry, even the country doesn’t have a handle and it means ministries don’t also have a handle. There is the need to audit these numbers for us as a country to come to an understanding on how much we spent on Covid 19”.

Reacting to this on UTV's 'Adekye Nsroma' programme, former Member of Parliament for Tema East constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover in as much as he supports Ato Forson's call, "he should not create an impression that the ruling government is running away from accounting to the people".

"I don't see any wrong in what he's done; it is his right as a ranking member of parliament to ask for clarity as far as the figures are concerned".

Don't give room for government to be insulted

Titus Glover has meanwhile, asked the Attorney General to publish the COVID-19 expenditure immediately.

"They shouldn't have waited for Ato Forson to request for an audit," he said.

"Bring out the report for everyone to know; this is very essential information; everybody wants to know how it (COVID-19 fund) was spent. The Auditor-General and his team should hurry with this . . . don't give room for speculations and people to attack the government, it is needless. those responsible for the auditing should do it . . . " he added.

Listen to Titus-Glover in the video below



He has also asked government appointees to be careful with data given to President Akufo-Addo and his Vice Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

"Don't give different figures to the President, Bawumia; when that happens you give room for people to speculate and I don't want that," he indicated.