COVID Audit: Dafeamekpor Warns Of 4th Republic Biggest Scandal
South Dayi Member of Parliament Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor has described the findings emerging from the COVID 19 expenditure audit as potentially the greatest public finance scandal of the 4th Republic if confirmed, warning that accountability must be swift and non partisan. He spoke in Accra during a review of audit queries related to pandemic spending by Ministries Departments and Agencies between 2020 and 2022.
The legislator said the scale of irregularities cited in the Auditor General report, including procurement breaches, unaccounted funds and inflated contracts linked to emergency health response, raises serious questions about fiscal governance during the crisis. He argued that COVID 19 funds were mobilized through taxpayer contributions, World Bank support, IMF facilities and domestic levies, making transparent utilization a constitutional obligation.
Dafeamekpor insisted that Parliament must ensure that persons implicated face the full rigours of law without political colouration. According to Mr Dafeamekpor, Parliament owes Ghanaians a credible probe that traces every cedi, recovers misapplied funds and strengthens expenditure controls to prevent recurrence in future emergencies.
In Ghana public finance architecture, COVID 19 spending was executed under emergency procurement waivers provided by the Public Procurement Act and the Public Financial Management Act, allowing expedited purchases of personal protective equipment, vaccines, laboratory infrastructure and social relief. The Auditor General audits emergency expenditures under Article 187 of the Constitution, while the Public Accounts Committee examines infractions and recommends recoveries, surcharges and prosecutions. COVID levy, E levy allocations and donor inflows formed part of the financing mix, making audit clarity essential for restoring confidence in fiscal management and donor credibility.
The COVID audit has become a recurring political flashpoint with civil society, the Minority and anti corruption groups demanding publication of detailed vouchers, contract registers and supplier identities. Dafeamekpor said confirmation of the audit findings would surpass previous scandals in magnitude due to the humanitarian context in which funds were diverted, stressing that accountability in pandemic spending sets the moral tone for future crisis governance and public trust in the 4th Republic.
The Minority Caucus is pushing for a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry, forensic audit and referral to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for further investigation, with calls for asset recovery and administrative sanctions. Stakeholders expect the Finance Ministry, Ghana Health Service and other implementing agencies to provide comprehensive responses to audit queries, publish reconciliation statements and institutionalize digital procurement tracking to prevent abuse of emergency protocols.
Source: #Howedey.com
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Author: Korkor Anumu
