The Minority Caucus in Parliament has formally written to the Auditor General to audit the GHC280.3million government spent on food and other relief packages under the Coronavirus Alleviation Program (COP).
The Minority at a press conference on Tuesday called on the Auditor General to probe the use of the money fearing the ruling party has channelled the funds into their campaign for the upcoming polls.
“The low coverage and haphazard implementation of these interventions during the lockdown period, specifically the distribution of free hot meals and dry food to the vulnerable, as well as the supply of tankers of water to deprived households, give us cause for concern that these funds were not judiciously utilised by the government,” Minority Spokesperson on Finance said at the Press conference.
He stated that a special audit into government’s expenditure under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme was imperative given media reports that state-sponsored COVID relief items meant for the vulnerable, are being sold in the market by functionaries of the ruling New Patriotic Party in Kumasi and other parts of the country.
“Indeed, we have in our possession, an audio recording from Kumasi based Silva FM, in which Market women at Tafo Pankrono have confirmed that eggs meant for the vulnerable under the CAP have been diverted and sold on the market by persons associated with certain government functionaries in the area”, he said.