The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the Mahama administration of failing to submit key documents on its flagship programs to Parliament for scrutiny months after their launch.
He noted that the government’s continuous delay in presenting official policy documents for initiatives such as the 24-Hour Economy, Big Push, Feed Ghana, Committee on Youth Exports, National Apprenticeship Program, and the One Million Coders program undermines parliamentary oversight and transparency.
Speaking at a press conference organized by the leadership of Parliament on Wednesday, October 22, Mr. Afenyo-Markin expressed concern that, despite the government launching several high-profile initiatives and Parliament approving substantial budget allocations for their implementation, legislators have yet to receive the relevant documentation.
“The government has failed to furnish Parliament with program documents for the flagship programs it has launched. Since the swearing-in, Parliament has approved billions of cedis for various ministries ostensibly to execute these programs. Sadly, to date, none of the documents have been presented to Parliament to enable us properly commence oversight,” he said.
He added that the absence of such documents raises questions about transparency and accountability.
“The 24-hour economy program, the One Million Coders program, the Agri-for-Economic Transformation initiative, the labor export program, and the National Apprenticeship Program, among others, have not seen parliamentary scrutiny.
“These are projects funded with public resources approved by Parliament. Why Parliament is being kept in the dark can best be explained by the executive,” the Minority Leader stated.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that while the policies themselves are commendable, proper oversight cannot take place without official documentation.
“We will not relent in our demand that the government make these flagship programs available for scrutiny to ensure transparency, fairness, and value for money. Oversight cannot happen when the basic program documents are not laid before Parliament. It is imperative that the government demonstrates commitment and avails these documents for proper parliamentary oversight,” he insisted.
Reacting to this, Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader in Parliament, has dismissed claims by the Minority that the government has failed to present documents on its flagship programs for parliamentary scrutiny.
Speaking to the media, Mahama Ayariga argued that the Minority has the tools to demand accountability from the executive and should not rely solely on formal submissions to Parliament.
“The tools for getting them to come and brief you on the policies are in your hands,” he said.
“If you want to be reminded, you can ask a minister a question. So the tool of asking questions is for you to bring ministers to the floor of the House to brief you.”
His comments come in response to concerns raised on the same podium by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader, who accused the government of failing to provide Parliament with key documents on major initiatives such as the 24-hour economy program, the Feed Ghana initiative, and the Big Push infrastructure plan.
But the Majority Leader insisted that these programs have been launched publicly and widely reported, making information on them accessible.
“You cannot say that as an opposition, it is only when facts are stated in the House that you take them as government policy,” Ayariga stressed.
“Each one of those policies and programs has been launched. Journalists cover the events and broadcast them.”
He further urged the Minority to take advantage of other sources of information, including media coverage and public documents, to track the progress of government policies.
“You should be reading newspapers. You should be reading the internet. You should be reading the news portals or the various media houses that are covering those events,” he added.
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