A staggering and unprecedented elephantine allocation of GHc 1,560,926,672 on page 173 of the 2017 Budget to the Office of Government Machinery (Presidency) which was revealed in Parliament last Thursday by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa the MP for North Tongu and Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament continues to generate controversy.
Policy think tank IMANI issued a statement over the weekend calling for expenditure at the presidency to be "tamed" .
Joy FM Super Morning Show host Kojo Yankson promised last Friday to delve into the revelation further expressing his disquiet.
The GH ¢1.56 billion figure is unconscionably more than double the 2016 allocation of GH¢ 718, 854, 913 to the OGM.
What is even more frightening is the fact that if one adds the entire allocations of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 to the Presidency one gets a total of 1,329,138,174 still far less than the 2017 single year allocation under President Akufo Addo.
Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa has also revealed that this GH ¢1.56 billion allocation is far higher than what was individually allocated to 27 out of the 30 sector Ministries. Actually only the Ministries of Education, Health and Interior have allocations higher than this figure because of their wages and compensation budget due to large staff strength.
Many Ghanaians are surprised that a party that promised an efficient and modest government will engage in this kind of conduct.
What appears to aggravate matters is the sharp cut in allocations to the GETFund, DACF, NHIL and Poverty Reduction Expenditure in Education only for all the savings to be sent to the Presidency.
IMANI has added that what is also worrying is the history of over expenditure at the Presidency which could make this already mind-boggling amount exceeded by end of the 2017 fiscal year.
They wrote:
“Wondering why you keep hearing about inflated project and transaction costs? It is simple. Most of them are cooked within a voracious and amorphous entity called the Office of Government Machinery with its captain being the Presidency.
2000 - Ghana Airways finally implodes leaving tax payers saddled with liabilities of $130 - $160 million depending who you ask.
2006 - Government commences building the Jubilee House originally projected to cost $50m, which will eventually cost $135 - $165 million, depending who you ask.
2010 - The successor national airline, Ghana International airlines, finally implodes saddling taxpayers with liabilities of $14 - $21 million depending who you ask..
This is why to IMANI the best way to deal with corruption is for it to be tamed at the Presidency.”
Meanwhile sources close to the Minority in Parliament say the Minority will hold a press conference today Monday at 1pm to put out more revelations on this matter.
Source: Daily Post
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Am very much disappointed in all those who commented based on their political pespective...for the fact that we are not happy about how the NDC went about issues concerning corruption,doesn't mean everything that they would said is a propaganda. who knows? it might be the truth and we just have to sit and watch but not to condemn facts and truths..what he said was a fact and we can't dispute that.. for your information, projects are not only executed from the presidency that's why there are allocations of founds to the various sectors... the 1.5mill that has been allocated to the presidency is a waste of tax payers money because I don't think the president would come and announce how that particular money was used because if the president would do so,it would be have stated in the budget.. even if he wants to fulfill his campaign promises,then the money wasnt allocated to the right machinery because the one village one dam policy would be implimented through the DCE's and the MCE's by raising founds as they normally do so the president would never use the money allocated to him for that project... it seems we lack education in this country so people just talk and comment anyhow. let's all be good citizens and not follow politics in our own perspectives just because we belong to part A or B. am not into politics but I always speak facts.
Nobody is shocked!!!
Nobody is shock over this money because NPP is going to use to benefit Ghanaians needs
One village, one dam one million dollars per constituency one district one factory . All these are coming out of the budget allocated to the Presidency because they are projects to be monitored form there. Stop the propaganda, it won't help you.
@ The GH ¢1.56 billion figure is unconscionably more than double the 2016 allocation of GH¢ 718, 854, 913 to the OGM. My question is HOW MUCH DID NDC SPEND THERE when they were allocated GH¢ 718, 854, 913.
its only in Ghana politicians will not provide project implementation plans before asking for money. When you ask they say they have good will and meant well for the common man on the streets. Eventually they tell you just give us the money and you will see how we spend it. Accountability demands that you provide how you want to spend the money and not only how you spent it. NPP shame on you
Who told Daily (RENTED) Post that Ghanaians are outraged? Wait till the results starts kicking in and the DAZED NDC will revise their notes! SHAME!
where is Kofi Ben til?
It is rolling come