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Public Accounts Committee aborts sitting …due to absence of MMDA officials

The absence of officials from some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from the Central Region at Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee sitting in Accra yesterday compelled the committee to postpone its maiden sitting in 2020.

The assemblies, cited in the Auditor General’s Report on ‘Utilisation and Management of the District Assemblies Common Fund’ on MMDAs for 2015 and 2016 financial years for financial impropriety, were  scheduled to appear before the James Klutse Avedzi chaired committee.

The invitation of the 15 assemblies was in line with Article 103(3) of the 1992 Constitution.

The above provision empowers the committee with functions including  “Investigation and inquiry into the activities and administration of ministries and departments as parliament may determine.”

But at about 11am yesterday when the committee had congregated to commence hearing, Mr Avedzi, MP, Ketu North, announced that the meeting could not continue and adjourned the committee.

“Unfortunately, the  [Central] Regional Minister, [Kwamena Duncan] says that he has not received the invitation.

“We cannot sit today (yesterday) because of the absence by districts from the Central Region. They claim they have not received their

letters,” Mr Avedzi said.

According to him, the committee was working to ascertain the veracity of the claim by the Central Region because all other regions have confirmed receipt of letters.

“We tried to crosscheck from other regions if they have received theirs because all the letters were sent the same day, January 6, 2020.

“All the other regions have confirmed receiving their letters.

“So we are trying to find out if they received the letter but claiming not to have,” he added.

The committee is programmed to sit till Monday January 20, 2020.

Assemblies from Western, Western North, Central, Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, Oti Regions were expected to appear before the 25-man committee.

Assemblies from Upper East, Upper West, North-East, Northern, Savanah, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East and Ashanti Regions have earlier had their day before the committee.

Sitting, however, continues today.

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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