The Member of Parliament for Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini, has called for the constitution of Boards for various governmental agencies is the country. According to him, there has been a delay on the part of President Akufo-Addo to constitute it.
Mt Suhuyini explained that the absence of Boards renders the National Health Insurance Authority, the Road Fund Secretariat and other agencies unable to get approvals to disburse funds.
Additionally, he noted that most ministries operate with these agencies which have the mandate to implement decisions or policies made by them.
That notwithstanding, after six months into the second term of President Akufo-Addo’s government, the Boards of these institutions have not been appointed.
As a result, this has led to the grounding of their operations to a halt.
“The catalyst for government business is decisions that are taken at board levels. But, nothing is happening. I mean you go to various institutions and agencies and people just come to work, warm the table, sleep and in some cases escape to do some private business because nothing is happening”.
Burdened by loans
The Tamale North legislator further stated that in some cases, individuals are owed a huge amount of money. However, these institutions are unable to pay their creditors until the boards have been set up.
“At the Road Fund Secretariat, many road contractors are burdened by loans that they took from banks and are burdened by the monthly interests that accrue on those loans.
“Yet they have finished their works, submitted their certificates and the government is unable to function because there is no board in place. It is the reason why the system is not functioning as we speak”.
According to Mr Suhuyini, the delay in constituting boards can be corrected when there is a change in power.
He however noted that, “in this case you have the same President, Vice President, you largely have the same Ministers who have been vetted and approved. So you wonder why it is taking so long for these boards to be constituted?”
Mr Suhuyini further urged the President to constitute the boards and also urge the boards to fast track their work so that people and businesses who are owed can be paid.
Boards not constituted as expected
Prior to this, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, had called on the President for the urgent constitution of statutory Boards in the country.
According to him, these Boards were dissolved following the end of the President’s first four-year term.
Mr Iddrisu revealed that persons appointed by the President or a Minister of State to serve as members of the statutory Boards and corporations from January 7, 2021, ceased to hold their offices
Also, months after the inauguration of the current administration’s second term, the Boards for the GETFund, NHIFund, DACF and the Road Fund, have still not been formed
Mr. Iddrisu maintains that this is impeding the smooth running of these important funds, critical to national development.
“As we speak, the boards of various institutions have not been constituted as expected of the Presidency. Many Chief Executive Officers for various institutions have not been appointed. One cannot understand why it has taken so long for these boards to be constituted”.
He pointed out that the non-constitution of the Board for the Road Fund, for instance, is impeding monthly releases to road contractors.
“Take, for instance, the Road Fund. Our contractors live on it, and they get monthly releases. The Ministry of Roads was inaugurated on the 5th of March, and we are ending the month of May. How is that the Road Fund [Board] has still not been constituted? The President must act in the interest of road contractors by getting the Road Minister to get the Road Fund properly constituted, so they can get some respite from the releases of funds”.
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