The government has moved to set the record straight on the allocation of GHS78 million, which was recently questioned by the Minority caucus.
According to Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the funds are earmarked for three state agencies under his supervision, not his personal office.
“We have government communication headed by Felix Ofosu Kwakye, deputized by Shamima Muslim. Let’s say they have two or three research assistants helping them, scrolling through social media and GhanaWeb to see what is happening there to respond—they are giving them a goods and services budget of GHS8.8 million,” Tano North Member of Parliament, Gideon Boako, stated.
“Maybe they will use some to buy internet data to go to the internet to respond to what the Minority is saying, and they are giving them GHS70 million, making GHS78.8 million,” he added.
However, Kwakye Ofosu has clarified that the allocation is divided between goods and services (GHS8.8 million) and capital expenditure (GHS70 million) for the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the Information Services Department (ISD), and the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
“Let me put it on record that my office has not been allocated GHS78 million. It is the three agencies under my purview who have been given GHS8.8 million in goods and services allocation and GHS70 million in capital expenditure allocation,” Kwakye Ofosu emphasized.
Kwakye Ofosu also highlighted the long history of public service by these agencies. “GBC, the Information Services Department, and GNA are long-standing state agencies. ISD has been in existence for 85 years, same as GBC, same as GNA. So it is not like they are new creations that President Mahama has made,” he explained.
“GHS78 million has been allocated to them for goods and services, not my office,” he clarified.