NOGAID supports call for public enquiry into judgment debts

NOGAID, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has added its voice to the call for an independent commission of enquiry into the numerous judgement debts the country is afflicted with.

Mr. Mustapha Sanah, Executive Chairman of NOGAID said the enquiry should focus on all judgement debts paid from 1992 to date.

Members of the commission, he said, should include a representative of Ghana’s major donor partners and people who are non-partisan and of impeccable character.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra at the sidelines of STAR Ghana Education convention for NGO’s, Mr. Sanah noted that there is growing erosion of public confidence in the political actors over the numerous judgement debts.

The convention was attended by 21 civil society organisations and NGOs being supported by STAR Ghana nationwide to improve upon educational pursuit.

STAR Ghana is a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism from DFID, DANIDA, USAID and EU to facilitate good governance and improve on public accountability among other interventions whilst NOGAID aims at championing the development aspirations of Northern Ghana.

Mr. Sanah said the judgement debts had the propensity to undermine the country’s democratic process.

“The past decade has witnessed a record judgement debt and negotiated settlement payments and one wonders how Ghana is able to accommodate all these mess taking into cognisance the commitments of the country to other pressing needs of the citizenry,” he noted.

He said prudent use of money had always shown good dividends citing the number of investments Ghana had enjoyed through the $540 million the US government offered the country under the Millennium Development Authority.

“How can Ghana expend almost $450 million to pay judgement debt in three years when there are numerous developments that remained to be executed?”He asked.

Mr. Sanah said it was ironic to spend so much money in paying judgement debts while the country was looking for $10 million to support the National School Feeding Programme.

“Because of GH¢4.5 million feeding grant second-cycle students in Northern Ghana were kept at home for three extra weeks.”**