The Minority in Parliament is demanding greater transparency from the government over the source of the GH¢350 million released for flood relief, arguing that lawmakers may not have been given the full facts before approving the emergency funding.
Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei says the caucus is not opposed to supporting flood victims but is questioning whether the funds were withdrawn in accordance with the law.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday, July 9, Ms Appiagyei said the Minority is simultaneously challenging the legality of the release of the funds and seeking accountability for how the money was subsequently spent.
“We are doing both,” she said when asked whether the Minority was contesting both the disbursement process and the expenditure.
“We wanted the money to be released urgently to support the flood victims, but we felt that due process and legality should be respected,” she added.
According to Ms Appiagyei, Parliament approved the withdrawal of the GH¢350 million from the Contingency Fund, but subsequent information suggesting that the fund had already been placed under a garnishee order has raised serious concerns.
She questioned how the government was able to access the money if the Contingency Fund was legally unavailable.
“If the Contingency Fund has been garnished, how were you able to release the GHS350 million? Does it mean it was taken from another account?” she asked.
The Deputy Minority Leader argued that if government sourced the funds from a different public account, it should have sought fresh parliamentary approval in line with the Public Financial Management Act.
She maintained that Parliament was unaware of the alleged garnishee order at the time it approved the request.
“We were ignorant about the fact that the Contingency Fund had been garnished. If we had known, Parliament could have suggested another source,” she stated.
The Minority is therefore calling for full disclosure from the government, insisting that Parliament must always be informed whenever public funds are drawn from a source different from the one approved by lawmakers.
According to the caucus, ensuring transparency and adherence to legal procedures is essential to safeguarding parliamentary oversight of public finances, even in emergency situations.
