Government 'cooking ' GH¢6 million for NPP communicators - Eric Opoku

The minority in parliament has called on government to give details on exactly what the GH¢6 million allocated for ‘Government Communication’ in the 2020 budget will be used for.

According to them, the lack of clarification of such budget will make Ghanaians conclude that the money will be given to NPP Communicators and serial callers.

Minority spokesperson on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa affairs, Eric Opoku, who made this assertion, was speaking on the floor of parliament during the 2020 budget debate after the Agric minister touted government’s achievements in the house.

Mr Opoku demanded for clarification on the ‘huge’ amount allocated to government communications, alleging it's to pay NPP Communicators.

“We are all aware that the ministry of information is the government mouthpiece and as it is always done allocations are made in the budget to enable them, operationalize their activities. Mr. Speaker in the 2020 budget when you go to page 233 we have been provided with a list of flagship programmes among the list is a very interesting programme called ‘government communication’.”

He added, “that program is to cost the Ghanaians taxpayer GH¢6000, 000. The information on this program is scanty in the budget and to erase the impression that in an election government intends using such resources to pay NPP Communicators, we demand further particulars. Is it for lack of confidence in the ministry of information?”

Eric Opoku also accused the government of manipulating figures to please Ghanaians and training ghost farmers as their number doesn’t tally with the figures they present in the budget.

He called on government to be “honest with the people we lead” as it is the duty of government to account to Ghanaians on the efficiency of the investment government has made.

“Why are we massaging the figures to create that erroneous impression that all is well when in the actuality we know that things are not well?” He said.