The Member of Parliament for South Dayi and member of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, Hon. Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor has categorically refuted recent claims by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, regarding the initiative to procure construction equipment for District Assemblies.
Dr Bawumia recently took credit for the decision, but Hon. Dafeamekpor contended that this assertion is not only inaccurate but also misrepresents the actual source of the decision-making process.
“It was Members of Parliament who took that critical decision to compel the Government to use the Common Fund Arrears totaling about GHC3.75 billion to purchase these construction machines for all the Assemblies in the country”.
Hon Rockson-Nelson Etse DafeamekporEsq. MP South Dayi and Member of the Public Account Committee of Parliament
The National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament drew attention to the 2024 District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) Formulae, as debated and approved by the Parliament of Ghana, which lays out the specific application of funds allocated to District Assemblies across the country.
According to the formula, the funds earmarked for ongoing projects, including the procurement of construction equipment for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), stem directly from shortfalls in the release of the Common Fund.
He pointed out that between 2018 and 2021, an outstanding amount of GHC3.57 billion was identified as shortfalls in the Common Fund releases, as revealed in the Auditor-General’s report.
The NDC lawmaker further indicated that the report uncovered an additional GHC181.97 million dating back to 2014, adding that both amounts were earmarked for essential projects, including the procurement of earth-moving equipment for MMDAs.
He emphasized that Parliament given the above, approved the use of these arrears to address critical infrastructural needs, including the construction of assembly buildings, courts, local government training schools, and the development of basic school infrastructure.
Parliamentary Directive Behind the Initiative
Hon. Dafeamekpor clarified that it was Parliament, not the Vice President, that took the decisive action to apply these arrears towards the purchase of the equipment.
He emphasized that this was a result of detailed deliberations in Parliament, following the Auditor-General’s findings, and not a unilateral initiative by the Vice President.
He went further to highlight that without Parliament’s intervention, the funds could have been diverted to other projects.
“If this idea were solely his [Dr. Bawumia’s], Parliament could have rejected it outrightly and directed the DACF Administrator to apply the funds to other earmarked projects.”
Hon Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor Esq. MP South Dayi and Member of the Public Account Committee of Parliament
A Case of Misrepresentation
Hon. Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor’s challenge questions the legitimacy of Dr. Bawumia’s claim, asserting that the Vice President was not present during the parliamentary debates that led to the approval of the funds for equipment procurement.
“He was nowhere near Parliament when MPs were debating and approving the same,” he emphasizednoted.
According to the MP, the real credit should go to the Auditor-General, whose meticulous audit exposed the arrears, and to the Parliamentarians who directed the DACF Administrator on how to allocate the recovered funds.
Hon. Dafeamekpor did not mince words in accusing Dr Bawumia of distorting facts, stating, “So Dr. Bawumia lied again.“
He insisted that the Vice President’s claims not only undermine the role of Parliament but also misrepresent the accountability mechanisms that uncovered the arrears and led to their allocation.
Hon. Dafeamekpor’s statements underscore the crucial role of Parliament in overseeing the allocation of the District Assemblies Common Fund and holding the government accountable for arrears.
He further acknowledged the efforts of the Auditor-General in ensuring that funds due to the Assemblies are accurately accounted for and used for the benefit of the people.
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