Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has been rescheduled to appear before Parliament next week Wednesday, June 22 to answer questions from the Members of Parliament.

This comes on the back of his failure to attend upon the House to account for the government’s expenditure on Covid-19 on Thursday, although he was billed to do so.

Speaking on the floor of the House on Thursday, Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annor-Dompreh explained that the majority leadership of the House received a request from the Finance Minister for his appearance before the House, to be rescheduled to June 22.

He therefore appealed for the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to oblige the Minister’s request

“On the programme for the Minister to appear before the House, yes, the business committee programmed him accordingly and then we had a communication from the Minister appealing to us that we should reschedule his appearance.

“He has communicated through the Majority Leader to the Speaker that on Wednesday, he is going to kill two birds with a stone. He is going to answer all the questions and he is also going to make a statement. So let us exercise restraint,” he said.

Ranking Member of the Business Committee and Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrissu confirmed to JoyNews the newly scheduled date for the Finance Minister.

“Today, the Business Committee, we have actually agreed he should come on Wednesday, the Majority Leader was there, I am a member of the Committee. He has been tabled to come on Wednesday to make a statement on the Covid expenditure and also questions that are available for him to answer, he said on Top Story on Thursday.

Per the Business Statement for the week, and Wednesday’s provisional Order Paper, Ken Ofori-Atta was expected to answer 16 questions, which include account on Covid-19 funds.

But the said questions were not tabled as part of the day’s business.

The Minority MPs are not happy about the development as they have accused him of continuous disrespect for the House.

Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, stressed that the attitude of the Finance Minister points to the fact that the government does not care much about probity and transparency.

He explained that “if he [Ken Ofori-Atta] really cares and this man has any conscience, he would not have the guts to go and sit on national television and be defending the building of the National Cathedral, while countless number of NABCo people have not been paid, and while the National Health Insurance Authority’s Fund has not been paid.”