The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has summoned Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to appear before the House with details of all funds received and used in the name of Covid-19.
The directive followed the shooting down of a 75 million Euros loan agreement between the government of Ghana and European Investment Bank, EIB for Covid-19 health response Ghana Project.
Minority members led by ranking member for the finance committee Cassiel Ato Forson had questioned failure of the finance minister to properly account for funds received in the name of the pandemic so far.
Ho West MP Emmanuel Bedzra threatened to mobilize the NDC MPs to vote against the loan since the President himself has through relaxation of the Covid restrictions given indication the worst of the pandemic is over.
Majority Chief Whip Frank Annor-Dompreh sensing the mood in the house prayed the speaker to stand down the agreement.
The Speaker however ordered the finance minister to account for all the Covid funds before parliament or forget any approval for a credit facility in the name of fighting the pandemic.
“I direct that the Minister of Finance appears before this House to account for all the monies that were approved for the utilization for the covid pandemic. It’s only then and only after that this motion will have an expression in this House to be approved or otherwise,” the Speaker directed.
