Pressure Group, OccupyGhana has called on Parliament to initiate a public hearing into the Auditor-General’s performance audit report on the administration of GETFund scholarships.

The group says discussions on the report have degenerated without addressing the salient issues the report sought to address.

“…with all the heat generated and spent, there has been precious little light shed on the real issues uncovered in the Report. The result is that Ghanaians, the administration of whose monies is in issue here, are short-changed,” OccupyGhana lamented.

In a statement, the group has requested that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament convene public hearings at which the “Auditor-General and all relevant and affected parties would appear, testify and answer questions under oath.”

“We firmly believe that hearings of the PAC, conducted in a healthy and strong bipartisan manner that focuses on Ghana and nothing else, will unravel and get to the bottom of this matter.

“Hopefully this would lead to long-lasting reforms in the overall administration of all of the government’s scholarship schemes,” they wrote.

The A-G’s report found that GETFund had awarded scholarships to persons including MPs, government appointees, and other politically exposed persons; something critics say is out of their mandate.

Read OccupyGhana’s request to parliament below

Our Ref: OG/2020/002

9th March 2020

The Clerk of Parliament
Parliament House
Accra

Dear Sir:

Request for Public Accounts Committee Hearings over Auditor-General’s Performance Audit of Scholarships Administered by GETFUND

OccupyGhana® has followed the debate that has ensued since the Auditor-General released the Performance Audit of the Administration of Scholarships by GETFUND. Having obtained and read a copy of the Report, we are struck at how very little of the debate has focused on the actual contents of it.

The result is that the debate has become an unfortunate cycle of partisan, rancorous and loud accusations, counter-accusations and denials. As of today, we are none-the-wiser for it so that with all the heat generated and spent, there has been precious little light shed on the real issues uncovered in the Report. The result is that Ghanaians, the administration of whose monies is in issue here, are short-changed.

OccupyGhana® does not accept that matters ought to be left to simmer and then remain as it is. We believe that it is time for Parliament, through the Public Account Committee (PAC) to step up and stand up to be counted, and to resolve the issues arising from the very important Performance Audit.

We therefore request that Parliament should at its earliest convenience convene public hearings of the PAC, at which the Auditor-General and all relevant and affected parties would appear, testify and answer questions under oath. We firmly believe that hearings of the PAC, conducted in a healthy and strong bipartisan manner that focuses on Ghana and nothing else, will unravel and get to the bottom of this matter. Hopefully, this would lead to long-lasting reforms in the overall administration of all of the government’s scholarship schemes.

We believe that considering how important and urgent this issue is, the PAC could commence and conclude the sittings required before Parliament rises for the Easter Break.

Yours in the service of God and Country

OccupyGhana®

cc. ​
The Chairman
Public Accounts Committee
Parliament House
Accra

The Ranking Member
Public Accounts Committee
Parliament House
Accra