Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed that government has directed Parliament to ensure the Right to Information (RTI) Bill is passed into law before the end of 2018.
According to the Vice President who was speaking at the Audit Service’s 8th Annual Accountability Lectures, the passage of the RTI Bill has become necessary as it is crucial to the fight against corruption.
He believes unrestricted access to information will enhance the work of the Attorney General and Special Prosecutor - who have been charged to work together to protect the public purse.
Dr. Bawumia said, “Government holds a firm conviction that the work of Auditor General and the Special Prosecutor can be enhanced when we have unfettered access to information. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that work on the Right to Information Bill be expedited for its passage this year and I’m assuring Ghanaians that the Right to Information Bill will soon become a law of the land.”
Bawumia commends Auditor General for retrieving GHC5.4bn from ‘ghost’ claims; calls for prosecution of culprits
The Audit Service in its recent report disclosed that it rejected GHC5.4 billion out of the liabilities of GHC11.279 billion submitted by MDAs to the Finance Ministry for payment.
The Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, explained that the amount was rejected as a result of the absence of relevant documentation such as warrants, contracts documents, invoices, procurements records, Stored Received Advices, among other considerations.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Vice President Dr. Bawumia commended the Auditor General for retrieving a the whopping GHC5.4bn from the ‘ghost’ claims.
The retrieval of the GHC5.4bn claims according to Dr. Bawumia is an indication the Auditor General is committed and supports government’s fight against corruption.
Calling for the prosecution of public officials who have deliberately dub the state Dr. Bawumia said, “This GHC5.4bn liability are ghost claims but they were not generated by ghosts. We want to see the prosecution of the culprits.”
Government won't interfere in the Auditor General's job – Bawumia
Dr. Bawumia also assured the Audit Service of lack of government interference.
He said the service will be well resourced in the coming days to make the work of auditors more efficient and effective so as to protect the public purse.
“Government will assist the Audit Service by providing the necessary support to ensure that collectively we safeguard the public purse against those who believe that their wealth ought to be bigger than our common goal,” he stressed.
