Ablakwa is running away from his own figures – Afenyo-Markin

Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markins, has questioned Member for North Tongu, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, why he is running away from the figures he put on his social media handle that he tagged profligate expenditure of President Akufo-Addo.

According to him, if the Member for South Tongu was so sure of the figures he put out as the authentic records on his social media handle, there should be no need to come to Parliament to ask the Minister for Finance to provide him with figures for the cost of the President’s official three-country tour in May.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin told the media after the Minister of Finance had come to the House to answer an urgent question posed by Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa how much the President Akufo-Addo’s recent official travels to France, Belgium and South Africa in May this year cost the Ghanaian taxpayer.

In response to the question, the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta said the President’s domestic and international travels are matters to do with the National Security, so the National Security Minister is best placed to furnish the House with the details needed.

However, not happy with the response of the Finance Minister, Mr. Okudzeto addressed the media in Parliament and expressed shock at what the minister said.

According to him, the government is seeking to conceal the facts from the very people who voted them into power by refusing to disclose the full cost of that profligate travel.

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Mr. Afenyo-Markin who disagreed with Mr. Ablakwa’s comments said, “The minister took time to explain in detail how such expenditures are carried out. There is a general release to Office of Government Machinery.”

“We all know that every year funds are released to the Office of Government Machinery, which includes Office of the President, the Vice President, Chief of Staff and other agencies that operate directly under the office.”

He continued, “The Minister of Finance again explained to the satisfaction of Parliament that with respect to this, there is a coordination between the office of the Chief of Staff and that of National Security secretariat and that this particular issue of Presidential travels fall under that scope so the National Security Minister is the right person to give specific details.”

According to the Member for Effutu, this was political mischief by Mr. Ablakwa, and the aim of briefing the media in parliament was to tarnish the high won reputation of the finance minister.

He said, “It is for political points scoring, and am saying that if he is minded to know that fact, the opportunity is there for him to file a question to the National Security Minister to come and answer.”

“If not for political mischief purposes, Ablakwa himself had provided figures and he had put these figures on his social media handle. Where did he get these figures from? If indeed he already has the figures for the cost, then why is he asking the Minister of finance to provide figures?”

“It must also be emphasized that all the supplementary questions by Hon. Ablakwa was overruled by Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker had the occasion to call him to order, so for him to come out to raise issues of transparency is neither here nor there,” he stated.

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