Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta is to appear on Friday, November 18 before Parliament Ad hoc committee to respond to a motion of censure against him for poor management of the economy.
The Minority had brought the motion admitted by Speaker of Parliament Albin Bagbin for which he set up a 7-member committee to investigate the motion.
Member of Parliament for Assin Asokwa and co-chair of the Ad hoc committee KT Hammond at the first sitting said the committee has decided that there must be evidence for the allegations that are being made.
The committee received evidence by the sponsors of the motion yesterday.
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu began testifying before the committee with evidence to back the 7 points statement of claim.
Ascertaining the claim that Mr Ofori Atta had authorised the payment of money for the construction of the National Cathedral without recourse to Parliament.
“Ghana is a very respected religious country where there is co-existence between both Muslims and Christians alike. Nobody is against the President promising and honouring God with a Cathedral. When public resources is used for that purpose, it needs to call into question.
We are aware that by a warrant signed by Honourable Ken Ofori Atta Minister 29th October 2022, an expenditure of 142,762, 500 Ghana cedis was allocated for the Construction of the Cathedral when no Parliamentary approval was granted for this purpose, ” He said.
According to the Minority Leader, Ghana’s debt stock exceeds 450 billion Ghana cedis as inherited in 2017 which stood at 120 billion Ghana cedis.
.He added that” the amount of money we now spend as a country to service debt at end of the year 2021 was 37 billion Ghana Cedis ballooning to 45 billion estimated by close of this year. This can only be as a result of irresponsible borrowing,”
Mr Iddrisu went further to say that Mr Ofori Atta has lodged petroleum proceeds into an account not sanctioned by the Petroleum Revenue Management Act.
