Former deputy education minister and ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says President Akufo-Addo cannot be trusted.
Speaking on Accra-based Radio Gold, the MP for North Tongu said “you notice that it’s an issue of truth and an issue of credibility, it doesn’t appear we can take the president for his words. He doesn’t seem to mean what he says”.
He continued: “We are really struggling to find the truth, struggling to find accountability with this new government each passing day”.
According to Ablakwa, the President had disclosed at the unveiling of the Ghana@60 logo that the celebrations will cost GHC20 million and will come from the private sector, but that appears not to be the case considering the information available.
At the time, the President said: “Marking such an occasion will cost us some money, this Diamond Jubilee commemoration is estimated to cost GH¢20 million and I’m hoping that individual Ghanaians, the Ghanaian private sector, the Corporate Sector, in particular, will provide the funds for the anniversary”.
However, deputy finance minister Kwaku Kwarteng revealed on the floor of Parliament Thursday, July 20, 2017, that government allocated 5.26 million for the year-long celebrations.
“The Ministry of Finance released an amount of GH¢5.26 million cedis towards the celebration of the 60th independence anniversary of Ghana. This was made up of GH¢3.1 million from the government of Ghana sources of funding and GH¢2.16 million from the District Assembly Common Fund.
“Out of the total GH¢5.26 million, GH¢ 3 million went to the office of the Chief of Staff at the Ghana at 60 secretariats while GH¢100,000 and GH¢2.1 million went to the 100 regional coordinating councils and 216 district assemblies respectively”.
