Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has criticized Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), questioning its effectiveness and moral authority in tackling corruption and financial mismanagement within public institutions.
In a pointed commentary, Awuni described PAC’s proceedings as an “annual drama” that produces little tangible results, despite the alarming findings often highlighted in Auditor-General reports. He noted that key individuals linked to past financial irregularities continue to participate in the very sessions intended to enforce accountability.
“One is late. One has run away, leaving behind a trail of dirty footprints. And one is enacting nuisance drama against new appointees who appear before PAC to answer for the mess created by the administration she served as Deputy Minister of Finance,” Awuni wrote.
He specifically questioned the current PAC chairperson, Abena Osei Asare, who previously served as Deputy Finance Minister under Ken Ofori-Atta, arguing that she lacks the moral authority to oversee accountability sessions given that many audit reports under review expose irregularities from her tenure.
Awuni also referenced past instances where PAC directives were ignored, citing the James Avedzi-led Committee’s order for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to terminate fraudulent fumigation contracts with Zoomlion Ghana Limited—a directive that was instead extended from two to five years.
He argued that PAC has increasingly become a platform for public outrage rather than a mechanism for meaningful reform.
“PAC has not proven to be useful, besides wasting public funds and raising our emotional temperatures about the malfeasance the Auditor-General uncovers,” Awuni stated.
His critique highlights growing public frustration over the lack of follow-through after PAC sittings, despite recurring revelations of mismanagement of public resources.