The MP for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, says he has suggested to the leadership of the Public Account Committee (PAC) to compel Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to appear before them rather than his deputies.
Speaking to Francis Abban on Starr FM, Dr. Apaak said that just as Mr. Ofori-Atta appears before Parliament by compulsion, the Committee will act in the same manner.
The MP disclosed that since the seventh Parliament began, the Minister has never appeared before the Public Account Committee, “he has always been sending his deputies with one excuse.”
“So it is now becoming clear that when we say that he doesn’t give Parliament the due regard, we have the bases. I have suggested to the leadership of the Committee that we should no longer tolerate deputies representing him. We must also compel him to appear himself. 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, you (Ofori-Atta) have never appeared before the Public Account Committee; why?” the MP quizzed.
The finance minister, after postponing a number of times to appear in Parliament and account for COVID expenditures, finally did so last Wednesday, June 22, 2022.
This, the Builsa South MP describes as unfortunate, adding that the situation created a backlog of questions for the Minister to answer.
“I must put on record that, unfortunately, Ken Ofori-Atta has caused the wrath of my side in Parliament for his unwillingness to come to Parliament with dispatch to respond to questions and queries. If you notice, I have had a course to complain, and my leadership has complained similarly. The last time Ken Ofori Atta appeared on the floor of Parliament to answer members’ questions before the Wednesday appearance was in June last year.
“I alone had filed at least four questions to him on matters to do with expenditure related to Free Senior High School and its implementation. None of my questions got the chance to appear, and I remember I even protested to the Majority of the House when we were considering the business statement prior to Wednesday. I thought the questions to the Minister of Finance should be more than 16,” he disclosed.
The Ranking Member on Education further disclosed that “the reason for the backlog is because he doesn’t seem to be enthusiastic about coming and answering our question; he only comes when he needs us to pass something on his behalf. We are beginning to feel that he is unfair to us.”
