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NDC calls for forensic audit of
disbursement of HIPC Funds
Cape Coast, Oct. 27, Ghanadot/GNA- Mr. Haruna Iddrisu Member
of Parliament for Tamale South on Saturday called on
President John Agyekum Kufuor to launch a forensic audit on
the disbursement of the HIPC Funds, Common Fund and that of
National Health Insurance Scheme from 2005 to 2007.
He pointed out that if an independent audit is conducted on
the said funds the findings would be worse than what is
being revealed from the on-going Public Accounts Committee
of Parliament, adding that some people were given loans
under the HPIC fund and have since not repaid.
Mr. Iddrisu made the call at a forum organized by the
Tertiary Education Institutions Network of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC) (TEIN) University of Cape Coast (UCC)
branch at Cape Coast under the theme: "NDC laying a solid
foundation for national development after 2008".
The forum was geared towards marketing the party's
strategies for national development towards next year's
general elections.
He said in view of this, the minority would be tough in
approving this years national budget, especially in the
allocation of funds to the District Assembly Common Fund and
the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to avoid the
misappropriation of public funds.
Mr Iddrisu said the NDC was not against the government's
plans for massive capital investment in the country but that
loans sourced should be properly done through parliament to
avoid any ambiguities and questioning.
He asked the government to ensure that Ministers of State
who are found wanting in the revelation of the Public
Accounts Committee should take responsibility for the
revelations and take charge of whatever happens.
Touching on the 2008 election, he expressed confidence the
NDC would win 2008 and that everything would be done to
achieve this goal, stressing that the NDC would demand a
massive electoral reforms from the district to the national
level.
He said NDC would remain committed to the stability, peace
and tranquility prevailing in the country and asked that the
Electoral Commission should be allowed to exercise its
constitutional mandate to ensure free and fair credible
elections in 2008.
He said the NDC would not have an excuse to cry foul in the
2008 election and that the members should play their roles
effectively to be vigilant during the voting and that they
should campaign on policies and programmes that would help
the party to win.
Mr Haruna said Professor John Atta Mills was the right
candidate for the party and they should market him as a
person with accomplishment, character, justice and
compassion.
According to him, Prof Mills has distinguished himself as a
man of integrity and that there had not been any instance
his administration that anyone had had the course to
question his integrity, adding that he would implement
policies that are human centred.
He said under Prof. Mill's administration, the NHIS Law
would be reviewed and that the age limit for the aged would
be reduced to 60 years to be commensurate with the
retirement age of workers instead of the current 70,
stressing the life expectancy of an average Ghanaian was 54
years.
He said children of 18 year would be made to benefit from
the scheme whether their parents registered or not so as to
ensure health care for all and not a selected few.
Mr Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka MP for Asawase also expressed
concern about the implementation of the NHIS, stressing that
there were some lapses and that with the current situation
where every district has its own identity card was creating
problems for the public, since people cannot asses health
care when they are away from the districts in which they
registered.
He said the destiny of NDC winning the 2008 election was in
the hands of the youth and asked them to fight for what is
for them and urged the members of TEIN to act as polling
agents, stressing that the party lost the 2004 elections
because it did not have qualified polling agents.
Mr Muntaka also urged party members to stop backbiting and
shifting blames and demanding monies form from executives
but should contribute their quota to enable the party to win
the 2008 election.
Mr Barton Oduro the Cape Coast Constituency Parliamentary
candidate said people describe the UCC as the waterloo of
the NDC and that they should disabuse their minds by voting
for him in 2008.
He said there were some "safe constituencies" for the party
and asked that TEIN members who were from such
constituencies should consider transferring their vote to
Cape Coast and commended the TEIN members for also embarking
on door to door campaign on campus.
Mr. Michael Adonbire Asabire, President of TEIN, said the
members would continue to defend the cause of the party and
that there was goodwill for the party on campus adding that,
most people were fed up with the NPP administration and are
yearning for a real positive change to embrace the NDC.
"Even though the NDC has a brighter chance of recapturing
power in 2008, we have to do away with complacency and
mediocrity and work extra hard till the battle is finally
won in the 2008 general election," he added.
GNA
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