No question yet on Covid-19 expenditure returns – Parliament
Parliament says no member of the house, including the member for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, Cassiel Ato Forson has filed any question demanding accountability for the monies voted to mitigate the Covid-19 lockdown period.
There are claims a question on the expenditure returns of an amount of GH¢280.3 million allocated for the fight against the Corona Virus during the lockdown period is yet to receive an answer three weeks after the question was filed.
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Parliament however says no such question exists in the house, and that if it did, the house would apply the rules as is the norm.
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, June 2, 2020, Parliament said it has no record that Cassiel Ato Forson had filed any such question contrary to a claim by him on radio.
“From our records in Parliament, there is no specific Question with the said amount filed by the Honourable Member or any Member for that matter.
“Per the rules and practices of Parliament, Questions are not filed in the name of, or by Caucuses. Rather a Member seeking a response to a specific issue would file a Question in his or her name, signed by the Member as provided for in Standing Order 64.
“The Office's interaction with the Honourable Member does not disclose that he had filed an earlier Question. Rather reference is made to a Question filed earlier by a Member of the Minority seeking to "ask the Minister of Health what emergency preparedness and response plan the Ministry has put in place to help contain the spread of COVID-19 virus and the details of how the 100 Million Dollars announced by the President will be spent."
“Upon further consultation with the Honourable Member, he indicated that he intends to file a Question today on the matter raised in the media. Once the question is filed, it will be processed in accordance with the rules of the House.”
The statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate also dealt with a claim that the Majority Leader, who is also the Chairman of the Business Committee had allegedly alluded to the creation of new constituencies in his presentation on Friday 20/05/2020 of the Business Statement for this week.
“No such presentation has been made by the Majority Leader. In fact, the Majority Leader in the said presentation, stated categorically that Committee on Subsidiary Legislation should endeavour to submit its report on the Public Elections (Registration of Regulation of Voters) (Amendment) 2020 for the consideration of the House on or before the coming into force of the Instrument.
“He insisted that the Committee must submit their report to the House by Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020 for consideration on Thursday June 4th, 2020. The attribution to him with regards to the creation of new constituencies is therefore wrongful.”
