Minority MP Dismisss Akufo-Addo’s US100M Chest Against Corona Virus As Lip Service

The Minority’s Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has dismissed President Akufo-Addo’s announcement of the voting of US$100million to fund a response system for possible outbreak of the deadly corona virus in Ghana as a charade. In an interview with Accra-based GHOne TV, the Juaboso MP said the President’s announcement was hot air because government is broke and does not have the kind of money to fund a fight against pandemic at the doorstep. “Ghana’s preparedness must be seen by all, and not shrouded in secret, if you walk to our boarders and various hospitals, you must see it. And that will give you some level of confidence, that even if we should have a case today, we will be able to contain it,” he said. According to the NDC MP, the President’s announcement did not mean the money was ready and that announcement is one thing, and accessing the money is another. “The delay in our preparedness is as a result of lack of funds, let no one pretend. We have had situations where sums of money have been announced in our budget backed by law, and the year will end without the money being released” “We started talking about our preparedness even before WHO came in to score us zero for not being prepared,” he said. Hon. Akandoh is not an ordinary MP, he is the Ranking Member on the Health Committee. If what he says is true, then it means President Akufo-Addo lied to the whole nation yesterday when he announced in a Presidential broadcast that he has asked the Finance Minister to set aside the money for fighting against corona virus. Already, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah appears to have fumbled in his attempt to explain where the money was coming from. According to him, the huge amount was partly coming from donors and partly from the Consolidated Fund. However, this claim has left many trying to imagine how any country would be prepared to vote free money for Ghana to prepare against possible corona virus infections, when every other country in the world is at risk and paddling its own canoe. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also did not state the breakdown so it would be understood the amount that is coming from donors and the amount coming from Ghana itself.