The member of parliament representing the Volta Region’s North Tongu constituency Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, has charged the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration with withholding crucial information about ECOWAS’s financial assistance for Akosombo Dam spill victims from Parliament and the Ghanaian public.
Mr. Ablakwa claims that ECOWAS Commission intercepted documents show that US$200,000.00 (GHS2.4 million) was approved in response to Ghana’s application; this information was withheld from the public during the most recent 2024 Budget presentation.
The MP claims that on November 15, 2023, during the budget presentation, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta only disclosed government applications to the Global Shield Against Climate Risk Fund and the World Bank.
The disclosure of the ECOWAS funding, which was purportedly approved two weeks prior to the budget presentation, has sparked criticism and demands for accountability and transparency.
Mr. Ablakwa said in a statement, “Why has the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government concealed from Parliament and the Ghanaian people that they had additionally applied to ECOWAS for financial support for the Akosombo dam spillage flood victims?”
The lawmaker also underlined the importance of swift accountability and disclosure of all government funding requests made to foreign organizations, along with details regarding the allocation of these monies.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in Parliament is worried about the intercepted documents from the ECOWAS Commission that the MP mentioned. During parliamentary sessions, caucus members are anticipated to push for complete transparency, stepping up the investigation into how the government is managing money meant for victims of the Akosombo Dam spill.
It will be interesting to watch how the government handles the allegations as the controversy develops and whether the public’s faith in the openness of the financial transactions pertaining to the Akosombo Dam spill will be affected by this disclosure.
Why has the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government concealed from Parliament and the Ghanaian people that they had additionally applied to ECOWAS for financial support for the Akosombo dam spillage flood victims?
Intercepted documents from the ECOWAS Commission show that ECOWAS has… pic.twitter.com/oEcYE81GxI
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) December 19, 2023
