Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta has denied Minority's accusation that he breached the constitution and unlawfully made a withdrawal from the contingency fund.
According to the Minority, the Minister unlawfully made withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund for the construction of "the President's Cathedral."
This, they say, contravenes Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, which states that no moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except where the issue of those moneys has been authorised by “an Appropriation Act; or by a supplementary estimate approved by resolution of Parliament passed for the purpose; or by an Act of Parliament enacted under article 179 of this Constitution.”
But Ken Ofori Atta says it's not true.
Consolidated Fund/Contingency Vault
He told proponents of the motion of censure for his removal that they should not confuse Contingency Vault with Contingency Fund (Consolidated Fund) with respect to funding for the National Cathedral project.
The Finance Minister held that funds were taken from the Contingency Vault for the cathedral and not from the Consolidated Fund as is being alleged by the Minority, adding that the Consolidated Fund and the Contingency Vault are two different things altogether which should not be confused.
Appearing before Parliament’s ad-hoc committee probing the Minority’s censure motion against him, said he is 'fully aware' of the procedure used to access the Consolidated Fund and that he has "not breached its requirement".
"I have not breached the constitution in making payments to the construction of the national cathedral. I have taken no money from the contingency fund to make payment for the national cathedral. It appears the proponents are mistaking Consolidated Fund for contingency vault".
"All the payments made to the national cathedral were lawfully done and in the contingency vault and not from the Consolidated Fund...I have served the country with honesty and integrity," he added.
President's Cathedral
Meanwhile, he disagreed with the Minority's description of the National Cathedral as "the President's Cathedral.
According to him, "it is not the president’s cathedral, it is 100 percent owned by the state."
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Rubish talking. Per Jo's logic then the government is in deficit so Free SHS should stop. Civil and public servants know it is Free SHS, yet they take bribes before allocating a place for our kids. Is this Akuffo-Addo's fault? You all are corrupt, and you destroy water bodies with galamsey, you take bribes as Customs Officer, you don't tax yet you talk like you love Ghana. Shame on you, and you are all greedy. Work hard and everyone is doing it from UK to USA.
If he’s got the presidential powers, he should go ahead and sanction for the project to keep going irrespective of what the ordinary Ghanaian is saying. We’re suffering and you’re so bent on stealing more money in the name of cathedral thinking we’ll have to shake when you mention cathedral . We’re gradually getting to the stage you’ll realize you only need to speak the truth to power . ***barred word***, instead of thinking of how to save the sinking image of the NPP , you’re still fooling around defending stupidly on the platform. You make some of us shy paaa
@Patrick. I don't know whether you read before commenting. You say, "somebody's pledge" and that is incorrect. Say "President's pledge" as that is the correct one. The president was elected, and his pledge is part of his agenda, so far as it is used for country - Ghana. Unlike others, we know who pledge cars and houses for their girlfriends, using Ghana's money. Cathedral is different and God bless him as the returns of this cathedral cannot be quantified in future.
WHEN WE HAVE ***barred word*** OLD MORONS LEADING MOTHER GHANA INTO A DITCH THE PEOPLE SUFFER....GOD SAVE GHANA
Patrick you are a joke. Ghana is operating an Executive Presidential system of government. Whatever the President does, he does it for and on behalf of the state. Get that right. The cathedral is not the president's private residence. It's for Ghana! Posterity will judge all those bastardizing the cathedral today.
Since when did somebody's pledge become a state pledge? This man is a joke