Ablakwa Rues Auditor General’s Report Of Ghc17.4billion Loss To Corruption In 2021

North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed exasperation about the upward trend of corruption under Akufo-Addo, following revelations by the Auditor General’s report for 2021 that Ghana lost GHS17.4 billion to various financial infractions and irregularities by state institutions,

In a post, Hon. Ablakwa who is also a Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament pointed out the fact that the new figure represents almost GHS5 billion more than the GHS12.8 billion lost to the same infractions in 2020 per the A-G’s report.

“Even as the Akufo-Addo government commences IMF bailout negotiations, the tragic irony is that corruption is now totally out of control,” he fired.

According to him, officials have managed to create more loopholes to loot from the public purse after the last report by the AG.

“Instead of stopping the massive haemorrhage so we can improve our economic conditions in this period of excruciating cost-of-living crisis, officials have disingenuously managed to create more loopholes by some additional GHS5 billion in a free-for-all plundering,” stated Ablakwa.

Among the leading causes of the leakages is sole-sourcing of contracts.

For instance, the Electricity Company of Ghana alone reportedly awarded illegal sole-sourcing contracts to the tune of Ghc221.15million.

“Most of the beneficiary companies have exceedingly interesting names such as Adu Ofori Atta Enterprise, Adiepena 67 Enterprise, Cota-Q Enterprise, MasterMind B Venture, Kudirash Ghana Limited, Engineering and More, Nel Service Limited and Bentry Company Limited,” Ablakwa hinted at state capture by the notoriously familiar culprit-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.