Parliament witnessed a tense exchange on Tuesday after the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, declined to publicly comment on calls to prioritise the completion of Agenda 111 hospitals over the government’s proposed 24-hour market projects.
“I am under oath of secrecy and therefore I can’t disclose what I discuss at Cabinet with the President here,” the Minister stated.
His response came after the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Local Government and Decentralisation Committee, Francis Asenso-Boakye, urged him to support a possible reallocation of funds towards the completion of the Agenda 111 hospital projects instead of investing in the 24-hour market initiative.
The Minister’s remarks immediately sparked reactions from Minority Members, who described the response as unfortunate and inconsistent with the principles of parliamentary accountability.
The exchange was triggered when Asenso-Boakye, in a supplementary question, appealed to the Health Minister to make a case to President John Dramani Mahama for funds earmarked for the 24-hour market project to be redirected towards the unfinished hospitals.
He argued that several districts across the country already have functioning markets and do not necessarily require new ones at this time.
“Can the Minister make a case to the President to consider using the funds to invest in the Agenda 111 healthcare projects rather than duplicating market infrastructure?” he asked.
According to him, healthcare delivery should be a greater priority, especially at a time when many Agenda 111 facilities remain incomplete and several communities continue to face challenges in accessing quality health services.
However, the Minister’s response drew immediate criticism from the Minority, who insisted that Parliament has the constitutional authority to demand clear answers on matters of public policy and public expenditure.
Minority Leader and other former ministers argued that ministers appearing before Parliament are duty-bound to account to the House and cannot rely on Cabinet confidentiality to avoid responding to policy-related questions.
Former Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, also intervened, stating that under Parliament’s Standing Orders, ministers are obligated to answer questions and cannot hide behind what he described as “Cabinet secrecy.”
He described the Minister’s reference to an “oath of secrecy” as misplaced in the context of parliamentary oversight and called on him to withdraw the statement and apologise to the House.
Beyond the procedural disagreement, the exchange has revived the broader national debate over government spending priorities.
With many Ghanaians calling for the swift completion of Agenda 111 hospitals, critics argue that healthcare infrastructure should take precedence over new market developments, particularly in districts where market facilities already exist.
Asenso-Boakye maintained that his concerns were practical rather than political, insisting that investing in healthcare would deliver more immediate and direct benefits to citizens than duplicating market infrastructure.
Meet Ewurabena Quartey, the youngest funeral undertaker in Ghana’s Central Region
Court strikes out Receiver’s stay application in GN Savings case
