Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh is demanding that the Finance Minister be summoned before Parliament over what he described as “serious arrears” in statutory payments crippling key state institutions.
Rising on the flooron Thursday May 27, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP decried the government’s failure to disburse funds to the Electoral Commission, District Assemblies, the National Health Insurance Scheme, and even Parliament itself, saying, “Ghanaian institutions are bleeding — and they deserve better.”
He revealed that the Electoral Commission (EC) alone is owed more than GH¢200 million from the conduct of the last local government elections.
“Assemblies are barely functioning,” he added, “and Parliament still awaits its own second-quarter releases. This is simply unacceptable.”
The MP insisted that the Finance Minister — or at the very least, his deputy — appear before the Committee of the Whole to explain the government’s plan for settling the mounting debts.
“We need to know: What’s the plan? When will payments be made? Is there a structured roadmap for installment payments?” he demanded.
“You cannot talk about a national reset agenda while basic obligations remain unmet,” Annoh-Dompreh fired. “We are in limbo. And the people we represent deserve answers — now.”
The MP’s passionate intervention didn’t stop there. He warned that Ghana risks losing its seat at the Pan-African Parliament due to delays in finalizing its delegation.
“We’ve been here before. We cannot afford to be left out again,” he cautioned.
Turning inward, Mr Annoh-Dompreh slammed the existing committee composition in Parliament, stating that “it is unacceptable” for some Members to sit on only one committee, contrary to the House’s Standing Orders.
He disclosed that a report to address this has already been prepared and called for its swift implementation.
He also delivered a stark indictment of the government’s handling of the illegal mining menace, popularly known as galamsey.
“If galamsey is truly a national emergency, then let’s treat it as such,” he said. “No funds were allocated in the last budget. No concrete action. Only promises.”
Touching on digital transformation, he lamented the underperformance of the electronic document system that was meant to reduce Parliament’s reliance on paper and cut its carbon footprint.
“Six months on, and millions spent, yet the system is still not functioning. Where is the accountability?”
Amid the criticism, Frank Annoh-Dompreh did acknowledge a few bright spots, commending Ministers who regularly show up and engage with Parliament, singling out the Roads and Education Ministers.
But he stressed that “absenteeism cannot be tolerated if we are to move this country forward.”
In a closing statement, the Minority Chief Whip reminded fellow legislators of their constitutional duty.
“The people sent us here to represent their interests. Let us not fail them.”
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