The Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr. Alban Bagbin, has stated that the in fell government is using a "strong deceptive public relations strategy" to prevent the public from knowing the truth with regards to the governance of the country.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party government, under the administration of President Kufuor, has lost touch with the people of the country and, in its attempt to over up, the government is always using public relations gimmicks to divert the public's attention from its inability to perform.
He said this in an exclusive interview with this reporter on whether Parliament made a budgetary provision for the operations of the NRC from the Consolidated Fund as enshrined in the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) Act.
It will be recalled that the president made provision for an amount of five million dollars to the NRC for its administrative and other expenditures.
The NRC Act 611, section 24 states that the funds of the commission for its administrative expenditures include funds provided by Parliament from the Consolidated Fund and other public fund.
"In contrast, no document was placed before the House for approval. What we heard was that the President had made available an amount of US$5 million to the NEC for its operations," he noted.
The Minority Leader drew attention to the fact that the NEC Act 611, section 179 sub-section 2 declares that "An Appropriation Bill ought to have been introduced into Parliament to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund or such other appropriation fund of money necessary to meet that expenditure and the appropriation of those sums for the purposes specified in that bill.
He also noted that in respect of payments charged on the Consolidated Fund, such a bill should have been laid before Parliament for the information of Members of Parliament.
"As we speak now, no member of the Minority knows anything concerning the involvement and entitlements of the staff of the commission", the law-maker remarked.
Even though a section of the public and the Minority group in Parliament raised the issue regarding the source of the money, the government has still not been able to after any explanation.
The Minority Leader, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Nadowli, hinted that the mention of dollars readily gives the impression that the money comes from a donor source; however, clouds of doubts still hang around the source of the money.
Asked what he intends to do under the circumstance, the Hon. member indicated that it is frustrating when people who have given them their trust to represent them in Parliament remain silent even when issues are raised for their imput.
"You get confused as to whether they appreciate the fact that we are working in their interest," he lamented.
He, however, pointed out that as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament he would raise the issue before the committee and invite the Minister of Finance, Hon. Osafo Maafo and chairman of the NRC, Mr. Justice Amuah Sekyi to answer questions in that respect.
He affirmed that not only is he bringing the two personalities before the committee, but he will also drag other government officials including District Chief Executives (DCEs) who have been placed at the head of some government institutions to react to certain questions.
In the state of the nation's address in the next few weeks, Mr. Bagbin plans to draw public's attention to the kind of frustrations that the minority are faced with when it comes to dealing with issues the government has already set out to execute.
"Everything we have done in our capacity as the Minority group in Parliament has been met with stiff opposition from our Hon. colleagues in the Majority as well as the government. "
This notwithstanding, we are prepared to defend the constitution of the state and the interest of the people who have given us the mandate to represent their interest in the law-making chamber," he added.
On the National Reconciliation Commission work itself, Hon. Bagbin revealed that many political parties in the country especially the NDC have not demonstrated much enthusiasm not because they are not interested, but because the NPP has made it a party affair rather than a national issue.
He further stated that all the political parties including his party have it in their manifestos and were prepared to treat it as a national event, and for the NPP to create the impression that it is the only party determined to implement it, is rather unfortunate.
The NDC started the de-confiscation of assets to their rightful owners long before it left office, citing the one given to the Busia and Nkrumah families as examples.
