A former General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nana Yaa Akyempem Jantuah, has said that the government’s approach to addressing the current drought facing certain parts of the country leaves much to be desired.
She says the government has been insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians over the years, and has not shown any sign of concern in holistically addressing the challenges confronting the people.
Her comments stem from the Finance Ministry’s request to Parliament for approval to use GHC500 million from the Contingency Fund as part of the government’s projected GHC8 billion relief package for farmers suffering from the ongoing drought.
The Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has requested approval from the Finance Committee of Parliament for the withdrawal of GHC500 million from the Contingency Fund for the farmers.
The Minister has indicated that government will be expecting part of the money from its development partners to complement the withdrawal. He has also indicated that government will realign its approved fiscal operations in the 2024 budget in that regard.
In a letter submitted by the Minister to the Committee, he stated that, “Mr. Chairman, given the assessed impact of the impending food security crisis in five (5) Northern Regions and Three (3) Transitional Zones affecting over 900.00 farmers and heightening the risk of extremism, your urgent approval would enable Government implement the critical measures required to address the situation.
“In light of the foregoing, we write to request approval from the Finance Committee for the withdrawal of GH¢ 500 million from the Contingency Fund, in accordance with Article 177 subsection 1 of the 1992 Constitution, Section 36 subsection 1 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921) as well as Section 227 subsection 1 of the Standing Orders of Parliament of Ghana,” portions of the statement indicated.
This, is what the former CPP General Secretary is saying smears of corruption. Speaking on the BigIssue on TV3’s NewDay Thursday, August 29, 2024, she stated that the excuse being given by the government to withdraw the money is lame, indicating something better could have been done to ensure the nation does not encounter the impending challenge no matter how the weather fails.
“Where can you ever give these lame reasons to take out GHC8billion. There is no data to it. If the farmers want it, what kind of support are they looking for? In this day and age, where do you just distribute money? When you could have put plans in place to ensure that even in drought, the expectation would have been that we’ll have a bumper harvest. Then we’ll know you are working, then we know that you’re fit for purpose,” she stated.
Government is insensitive – Nana Yaa Jantuah on CETAG strike
