The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency arrest and prosecute three of his ministers who were involved in the alleged misappropriation of Covid -19 funds per the Auditor General’s report.
The Auditor General’s report revealed some infractions in the government’s expenditure for Covid-19 from March 2020 to June 2022.
In the report, the Auditor General among other things disclosed that the state spent US$607,419.02 out of US$4,049,460.12 for the purchase of 26 ambulances, but the vehicles were never delivered.
The report also captured that some senior management and supporting staff of the Ministry of Information paid themselves a total amount of GHS151,000.00 as a “Covid-19 risk allowance” without approval.
It also detailed how the Ministry of Health paid a total of US$120,192,379.80 to UNICEF for the supply of Covid-19 vaccines but only received vaccines valued at US$38,322,000.00, with a whopping $81.8 million of the transaction unaccounted for.
Responding to the report, Sammy Gyamfi at a press conference on February 1, called for the arrest and prosecution of the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta, Health Minister Kweku Agyeman-Manu, and the information minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah for their involvement in the misappropriation of state funds.
Justifing the call fr arrest in an interview with Neat FM, Sammy Gyamfi argued that the Covid-19 expenditure was intended to treat the disease and provide relief to the average Ghanaian, but these government appointees chose to abuse the public funds for their own personal gain.
Sammy Gyamfi added that president Akufo Addo should sack the said ministers to redeem his image as a leader who does not condone corruption.
He then cited an example from the Malawian government where 19 state officials were dismissed for their mishandling of Covid-19 funds.
“Nana do something before you die, if you didn’t spend some of the money, then take action. Those who went against the laws of the country and misappropriated the Covid-19 funds. The Auditor General has submitted the report to you so we want to see you sacking the health minister, we want to see you sacking the finance minister, we want to see you sacking the information minister. That is all we’re asking for,“ he said.
Source: ghanaweb.com
