Professor John Gatsi, Dean of the School of Business at the University of Cape Coast, has warned Parliament to carefully examine the government’s request to withdraw 500 million cedis from the Contingency Fund to mitigate the impact of the northern drought.
This comes on the back of a looming food crisis due to a severe drought in the northern regions, which has affected crop production and food security. The drought has resulted in a significant decline in agricultural output, leaving many farmers without produce to sell.
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has requested 500 million cedis from the Contingency Fund to support affected farmers and mitigate the impact of the drought. The request was made by the Sector Minister, Amin Adam, who highlighted the urgent need for funds to address the crisis.
However, speaking to GHOne TV, Prof. Gatsi stated, “It is irritating to see that barely three months to an election, we are calling for the expenditure beyond what has been approved in the budget. In excess of 8 billion to be doled out without properly accounting for the people who are going to receive those funds.”
He cited that Parliament must ensure value for money, saying, “The ball is now in the court of Parliament to scrutinize the request to see that the request is granted based on what will bring value to the people of Ghana.”
Prof. Gatsi also stressed on the disbursement process and the quantum of money being asked for, stating, “Those are the things that ought to be scrutinized very well to ensure that the right thing is being done.”
He urged Parliament to do due diligence to hinder the funds from being used for political campaign purposes, saying, “We just have three months to go. So, Parliament should do us a favor to ensure that they scrutinize this deal so that we do not spend money to finance the election for one particular party.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Sena Afi Senanu
