Features
Minority cries foul over proper accountability of COVID-19 expenditure by government
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Accountability is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or account for one’s actions. It is often used in the context of individuals taking responsibility for their actions. An example is when an employee admits an error he or she made on a particular project.
IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability is so important because it eliminates the time and effort spent on distracting activities and other unproductive behaviour. When you make people accountable for their actions, it means you are effectively teaching them to value their work. For leaders to be accountable, they need to be committed to the business and its people. They must regard their role as leaders of people and build trust among team members. Leaders who are accountable, clearly communicate their goals and objectives and foster alignment and team focus.
Having stated what accountability connotes and how a leader is supposed to adopt and apply it to advance the course of progress, I am inclined to dwell on the recent development in our country where the Minority group in Parliament is crying foul over how moneys set aside by the government for the management of the deadly Corona Virus pandemic (COVID-19) were expended since 2020.
ACCOUNTABILITY OF COVID-19 FUNDS
Within the last few weeks, proceedings in parliament had not been smooth sailing between the Majority and the Minority caucuses in what looked like a war of words over this particular issue of expenditure of COVID-19 funds. The Minority has not been comfortable with the figures at their disposal and, therefore requested the Speaker, Mr. Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin to summon the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta,to appear before the House to answer questions relating to the issue.
For a number of weeks after the Speaker had issued the invitation to the Finance Minister to appear before the Legislature, he failed to be present citing reasons such as engagement with other government businesses and that he needed more time to put together his answers to how the expenditure was conducted by the various agencies.
SPEAKER’S SUMMONS TO FINANCE MINISTER
Not appeared to be happy with the continued absence of the Minister to the Chamber, the Speaker directed the Finance Committee to suspend all deliberations on the 75 million Euro facility for a COVID-19 response programme currently before the House for consideration. Hear him; “Until we go through the accountability process, we will not take that motion. Today, he has another request before us. That will also be affected. Until he comes to respond to the questions and to submit the statement giving an explanation as to how the money has been applied, we will not entertain any business from the ministry.”
The Speaker, we are told, gave the ruling despite admitting that there had been communication through the Majority Leader by the Finance Minister about his non-availability to appear before the House. That was after he (Speaker) had held a meeting with the leadership of the House. According to him when questions were asked of ministers, the House expected them to come and answer them and quoted Standing Order 61 of Parliament to buttress his point.
To refresh the minds of my readers and patrons, Standing Order 61 states that, “Ministers shall by order of the House be requested to attend to sittings of the House to answer questions asked them.” The Speaker further cited Standing Order 60 (3) which also states that, “A minister shall not take more than three weeks to respond to questions of the House.” He indicated that based on the Standing Order of Parliament, the Business Committee of the House was given the opportunity to do the allotment and, thus, allotted June 16, for the Finance Minister to come and answer some questions that stood in the name of his ministry.
EXCUSES FROM FINANCE MINISTER NOT TO APPEAR IN PARLIAMENT
“The Finance Minister told us that he would not be available today and before today. I gave a directive to the effect that the Minister appears before this house to accept money that we approved for him to use to lead the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of questions have been raised, so we expected the Minister to come and account as to how state resources had been applied to the benefit of the people. I just indicated that until that was done, a motion requesting for approval of the House for money to be given to the Ministry of Finance for the purpose of COVID-19 will be on hold,” said the Speaker.
Before the Speaker gave his ruling, the Minority had expressed its displeasure over the Minister’s inability to honour the invitation. The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, we are told, expressed misgiving about the attitude of the minister saying that it looked as if he was taking Parliament for granted, adding that the oversight responsibility of the House was not to be taken lightly at all. He warned that his side (Minority), was not ready to take any motion relating to the Ministry of Finance until the minister appeared before the House, adding that the minister’s failure to appear before the House meant he was avoiding accountability.
MAJORITY AND MINORITY LEADERS’ REACTIONS
On his part, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, made it clear that his side was demanding accountability in the interest of Ghanaians. He said the minister needed to come and account for an amount of GH¢9.7 billion COVID-19 expenses.
However, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, refuted the claim that the minister was running away from accountability, explaining that he needed some information from the technocrats concerning the expenses on COVID-19 for which he would need time to read through before facing the House. He said the minister wanted Parliament to reschedule his appearance to Wednesday, June 22, 2022, to enable him to come before the House and answer questions on all expenses on COVID-19.
FINANCE MINISTER FINALLY REPORT TO THE HOUSE
True to his words and assurance, the Finance Minister made an appearance on the stipulated date to respond to the various questions from the parliamentarians.
According to the minister, the government had been transparent and prudent in the management of the COVID-19 funds and that all expenses were provided for in the last budget. Giving details, the minister said out of the GH¢18.19 billion the government mobilised from the various sources of funds in 2020, out of the programmed GH¢19.3 billion, GH¢12 billion was spent. He gave a total breakdown of how the moneys were received and expended which I do not intend to bore my readers with for lack of space.
SPEAKER ORDERS PROBE INTO COVID-19 EXPENDITURE
However, the Minority realised the inconsistencies in the figures as compared to what was contained in the President’s State of the Nation Address and called on the Speaker to institute an enquiry into the matter. It appears the Speaker has agreed to the Minority’s request and has directed the Committees of Finance and Health to investigate the expenditure and report to the House the first week of the next meeting of the House in October this year. It is the hope of Ghanaians that the committees will work diligently to ensure a vivid accountability of moneys so far invested in the management of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic which still rages on. Failure to do a good job will enable the international community which provided some of the funds to mitigate the situation during that period to lose confidence in us.
VIBRANCY AND POTENCY OF THE LEGISLATURE
It is now becoming increasingly clear that this particular parliament is no more the rubber stamp that it used to be in the past when things were done haphazardly or sometimes swept under the carpet. Parliament of today is indeed, biting because of the very nature of composition and the fact that the Speaker is coming from the major opposition party (NDC). The hung nature of parliament, with the Majority having the same numerical strength with the Minority,137-137 with one independent MP aligning to the majority side has instilled vibrancy in the Legislature and encourages dialogue and consensus building on various issues. So far, the Minority has been resolute and putting the Majority side on check. The Speaker has also stood firmly on his grounds making proceedings in the house very attractive and interesting. It is significant to recall an issue like the passage of the E-Levy, which went through some form of hectic moments because of the Minority’s stance on the issue before it was finally passed into law.
Judging from what is unfolding in our legislative arm of government, where issues are debated with clear minds and conscience by our parliamentarians under the effective guidance of the Speaker, it appears that the country is making a significant progress in our democratic experiment. This is a sign that if we continue on that path, we will surely and eventually make progress within the shortest possible time.
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By Charles Neequaye
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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