CHRAJ Should Probe The Office of Chief of Staff

CENAB UK, a Ghanaian advocacy group based in the United Kingdom, is calling for an urgent investigation into expenditures at the Office of the Chief of Staff and that of the Presidency, where obscene overspends of their budget have become the norm over the past few years.

This call has been necessitated by last week's confession by the ousted National Organiser of the NDC on Kumasi's Hello FM that the Office of the President is responsible for paying NDC activists, including party agents for elections and registrations. This blatant abuse of public funds for party activities by the Office of the President is one of the many ways in which the taxpayers' kitty is being mercilessly looted, leaving ordinary Ghanaians poorer.

These budgetary outruns by the President's own office peaked in 2012 and have continued year on year with staggering figures ranging from GHS40m to GHS600m.

Just last week, the nation was shocked by the revelation of Mr Yaw Boateng-Gyan that the NDC executives receive cash from the Presidency to undertake party activities and that he lost his re-election bid because cash expected to pay party activists for voter registration was delayed or deliberately withheld to help him lose favour with delegates. Before the 2012 elections, this same National Organiser was caught on tape saying how the coffers at the Ministry of Finance are also abused to keep foot-soldiers happy.

Again the persistent budget outruns by various MDAs and the recent growth in ghost names on the public payroll can also be attributed to these party linked expenditures thus allowing the NDC to use state funds to fund their party activities and activists.

In 2012, the Office of the President overspent its budget by as much as GHc600 million. The budget for Social protection programs was overspent by GHc700 million. The Ministry of Youth and Sports overspent its budget by GHc300 million and NADMO by GHc300 million. These over-expenditures were recorded in just the last quarter of 2012 to help John Mahama stay in office at all cost.

Just last year, the Office of the President overspent its budget by GHS40m. While the Office of the Chief of Staff was allocated GHc7, 487,048 in 2014 it actually spent GHc48, 811,722.

By September 2014, office of President had already overspent its allocation by GHc44 million. The office had spent GHc76 million, as opposed to the GHc30, 929,343 approved by Parliament for the whole year.

As we approach 2016, it is clear that these over expenditures will increase to astronomical heights because once again President John Mahama intends to stay in power mo matter the cost to the nation. We believe the confession by Yaw Boateng Gyan provides clear evidence of this criminal abuse of public funds for party work.

Acting Commissioner of CHRAJ - Mr. Richard Quayson

For these reasons, CENAB UK is calling on The Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe into the confession of the former National Organiser of the NDC and institute an investigation into the spending patterns of the Office of the Chief of Staff.

CENAB UK is calling on all progressive alliances and all civil society groups in Ghana to join hands with us in this call on CHRAJ to institute a probe into this grave matter. Even without a suo-motu investigation of the matter by CHRAJ, CENAB UK will be prepared to sponsor an investigation into this profligate outruns before CHRAJ.