¢5.4 billion saga: Ministers acted as Post Masters – Ato Forson jabs

A former Deputy Finance Minister is accusing Ministers in the Akufo-Addo administration for the ¢5.4 billion rot uncovered by the Auditor General’s department.
Casiel Ato Forson says the Ministers failed to do due diligence and rather acted as “post masters” and forwarded claims to the Finance Ministry without any checks.
His comment comes after the Auditor Generals Department uncovered that 5.4 billion was overpaid to contractors and other service providers in 2016.
This follows a 2016 audit of the finances of the various ministries, department and agencies (MDAs).
Auditor General, Mr. Daniel Domelevo, has recommended the prosecution of officials who presided over the wrongful payments of up to 5.4 billion Ghana cedis.
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When the issue broke, majority of Ghana blamed the erstwhile Mahama administration of depleting the public purse.

But on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem Tuesday, Ato Forson opined that, the John Mahama administration cannot be held accountable for the ¢5.4 billion rot in the civil and public service.
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He maintained that, they paid legitimate claims way back in 2014 thus could not fathom why the same claims were re-submitted for payments.
The former Deputy Finance Minister said it’s either the current administration wants to paint the Mahama government black or some Civil Servants want to play smart and take advantage of the system.
Citing the Ministry of Health for example, Ato Forson who is also the Minority spokesperson on Finance, could not fathom why the sector Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, an accountant would submit ¢800 million as nursing training allowance to the Finance Ministry without cross-checking.
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“I’m surprised Kwaku Agyemang Manu, an experienced accountant and former chairman of the Public Accountant Committee of Parliament acted as a post master and submitted such whopping sum to the Finance Ministry without cross-checking” he noted.
Ato Forson commended the Auditor General for helping to uncover the rot in the service and public service.
He also joined the crusade for the prosecutions of officials who plundered the state coffers either through deliberate acts of fraud or oversight.