GH¢5.6m gov’t cash was spent on 6th March parade – Ken Amankwah

The Chairman of the Ghana 60 years on committee, Ken Amankwah has said that over GH¢5 million was spent on only 6th March parade to commemorate the country's 60th Independence Anniversary.

He said the amount was among other things used to pay for rented cars and hotel accommodation for special guests who attended the anniversary celebration .

Responding to a statement by the Deputy Minister Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng in Parliament that more GH¢5.6m of government funds was used for various events as part of the year-long celebration, Ken Amankwah said the allocation was only a statutory payment to take care of the regular independence day parades.

Kwaku Kwarteng, MP and Deputy Finance Minister
“The budgetary allocation for the celebration actually went to the parade of the military and school children and other ancilliary which is a routine thing that happens every year. Ghana 60 years on is completely different from Independence day statutory provision which is always done. The independence parade, the flag raising and other ancillary things that occur is a statutory and mandatory money that comes from government every year. We have not touched that [GH¢5.6m] at all… Ghana 60 years on, everything that we have done is from the private sector,” he said.

Kwaku Kwarteng said in Parliament on Thursday that the government provided GH¢5.26 million for the year-long celebration.

According to him, GH¢3.1m of the amount was sourced from Government's coffers while GH¢2.16m was sourced from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).

The statement appeared to contradict President Akufo-Addo's assurance that the government will source the GH¢20m budget cup for the celebration from the private sector.

But the Chairman of the committee which was constituted to plan and execute all events and projects associated with the anniversary said it did not benefit from the state money.

He said the committee relies solely on donations from the private sector for all of its activities.

He further described as untrue claims that some of the money was give to the Chief of Staff at the Ghana 60 years on secretariat.

“It is not true. It went to the Chief of Staff so that they can pay for the hotel bills of those who were invited by government to come to the celebration. The car rental charges and all that… that is what the Chief of Staff pays for… It has got nothing at all to do with Ghana 60 years on.”

Meanwhile, Ken Amankwah has said that the Committee is rigorously implementing various planned and unplanned projects as part of its mandate.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana