It's not right; our leaders need to up their game — Atik Mohammed condemns absence of Finance Ministers during budget debate in parliament

Atik Mohammed has voiced his disapproval of the absence of Finance Ministers during the 2024 budget debate in Parliament.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, currently engaged in a foreign assignment, leaving the responsibility of representing the ministry during the budget deliberations to his deputies.

However, to the surprise and concern of many, neither the Minister nor his deputies were present during this crucial parliamentary session.

The issue was brought to the forefront by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Tamale South and former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.

Expressing deep concern on the floor of the House, Iddrisu highlighted the absence of the Finance Minister and questioned the failure of his deputies.

He emphasized the significance of budget oversight, stating, "Budget oversight is our most important oversight function as Parliament, and budget oversight means a lot for the Ghanaian people."

Atik Mohammed, the former General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC), said this during an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show.

He expressed his dismay at the Finance Ministers' decision not to attend Parliament during the budget debate, emphasizing the importance of the budget as the "most important document in the life of any government."

"It's not right, and it tells you how our leaders need to up their game," Mohammed asserted, criticizing the leadership for not taking the opportunity to break down the budget for the understanding of Ghanaians.

Mohammed further questioned the absence of the deputies at the Finance Ministry, stressing that the budget is a critical document that outlines expected revenue and expenditure.

He stated, “The budget shows how much money to get and how to expend it…Budget is just an estimate of your expected revenue; I mean an estimate of your revenue and your expenditure”, he stated.