The National Democratic Congress (NDC) wants Parliament to compel the Auditor-General to exercise his power of surcharge and disallowance to retrieve all COVID-19 funds that have been misapplied or misused through various infractions and veritable acts of criminality.
The call comes on the back of the release of report of a special audit into Ghana’s Covid-19 funds.
The report observed that out of the total amount of GHS21.8 billion that accrued to the Government of Ghana as Covid funds, only GHS11, 750,683,059.11 was spent on COVID-19 activities.
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The remaining GHS10, 093,506,126.13, according to the Ministry of Finance was spent on “budget support”.
The report further said some covid funds were mismanaged.
Speaking at the presser dubbed 'Moment of Truth', the National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi said “the animal called ‘budget support’ was the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government’s euphemism for their reckless and wasteful election-driven expenses which resulted in an unprecedented budget deficit of 15.7% in the year 2020.”
He further outlined what he described as fifteen ‘shocking revelations’ contained in the report of the Auditor-General.
The party also called for the head of the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu for impropriety in the purchase of vaccines worth $120,192,379.80 from UNICEF/AVAT, after the Auditor-General disclosed that vaccines valued at only $38,322,000 were supplied to the National Cold Storage, meaning $81.8 million worth of vaccines are yet to be delivered.
READ ALSO: Over 1 million COVID-19 vaccines expired – Auditor-General
"President Akufo-Addo must immediately fire the Minister of Finance, his Health Minister, Kweku Agyemang Menu, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the CEO of the National Food Buffer Stock Company and all other officials who have been cited in the report for violating the laws of the country in their expenditure of COVID-19 funds."