Hawa Koomson must be fired – NPP USA

A Deputy Communications Director for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) US Branch, Kofi Ameyaw, has said President Akufo-Addo must not compromise the integrity of his Ministers following what he says is the unacceptable GHC1,010,239,700 budget approved for the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives for 2018 that has triggered public outcry.

He told Kasapa 102.5 FM that for the fact that the sector Minister failed to do due diligence over the 11 months period to scrutinize the Budget being sent to parliament for approval, the President should not hesitate to sack her from office.

“What I’m saying will not be done but I’ll say it anyway. She should be fired right away. It’s unacceptable; you can’t do that- in this day and age you can’t say it’s a mistake. The buck stops with the Minister. You cannot tell me that you’ve sent a budget to the parliament, where laws are being made, where our lives are being carved in stone; because when they make the laws its binding, and you sat down all of these months and prepare a budget to parliament and it has been approved and the next day you come and tell me that it was a mistake and the next minute you should be in your office working? I’m sorry it shouldn’t be done. It’s sad, and unforgivable,” he told sit-in host Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM.

The Budget was approved by parliament on Wednesday, where the Ministry is to blow a whopping GHS800,000 for the Development of Website alone, amidst other gargantuan expenditures.

For instance, some 275 ambulances will be procured at a unit cost of GHS354,750 totaling GHS97,556,250, while Fifty warehouses would be constructed at a unit cost of GHS1,652,469 totaling GHS82,623,480.

Also, 1000 solar-powered mechanical boreholes would be constructed at a unit cost of GHS132,000 totaling GHS132,000,000.

Additionally, 1000 “water closet institutional toilets with mechanised boreholes and solar panels” would be constructed at a unit cost of GHS187,000 totaling GHS187,000,000.

Fifty micro-enterprises would also be constructed at a unit cost of GHS550,000 totaling GHS 27,500,000.

Below are the rest of the items in the budget approved:

275 projects at a unit cost of GHS1,100,000 totaling GHS302,500,000

Construction of 100 markets at a unit cost of GHS1,100,000 totaling GHS110,000,000

Internal Management or Organisations totaling GHS8,600,000

Hiring of office accommodation for Middle Belt and Coastal Belt Development Authority and Regional Offices totaling GHS15,000,000

Legal and Administrative Framework Review – GHS1000,000

Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Refurbishment – GHS3000,000

Procurement of Office Furniture and Fixtures – GHS6,500,000

Local and International Affiliation – GHS2,500,000

Procurement of Office Supplies and Consumables – GHS3,000,000

Tendering Activities – GHS759,970

Treasury and Accounting Activities – GHS500,000

Procurement of Computers and Accessories – GHS1,500,000

Manpower Skill Development – GHS3,500,000

Foreign Training – GHS2,000,000

Planning and Policy Formulation – GHS3,500,000

Policies and Programme Review Activities – GHS1,500,000

Publication and Decimination of Policies and Programmes – GHS500,000

Development and Management of Database – GHS400,000

Research and Development – GHS1,000,000

Budget Preparation – GHS2,000,000

Budget Performance Reporting – GHS500,000

Management and Monitoring of Policies and Projects – GHS3,000,000