A private newspaper, the ‘Ghanaian Democrat’ has accused the government of “throwing four (4) billion Cedis ($571,000) to the wind.”

This is in reference to an amount of money released by the Ministry of Finance to the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Kwamena Bartels for the renovation of the Official residence for Vice President, Aliu Mahama and other Ministers of state.

The paper in the report questioned where the Kufuor government found the money and why it was paid into the personal account of Mr. Bartels rather than that of the Ministry.

The Democrat also criticized the government for dissipating the country’s scarce financial resources after it announced that it had inherited empty coffers and a huge debt from the NDC government. Mr. Bartels in his reaction to the Democrat publication said the amount was rather paid into the Ministry’s coffers and not in his personal account.

To buttress his point, he explained that the Ministry disbursed 449 million Cedis ($64,000) in the rehabilitation of six flats for the leadership of Parliament while a further 493.6 million Cedis ($70,000) was used to pay two years rent advance for six former NDC ministers who are currently Members of Parliament.

One billion Cedis ($143,000) out of the amount has been set aside for the renovation of the Osu Castle, the seat of government while a little over One billion Cedis ($143,000) will be used for the renovation of the Old American Embassy Building to house the newly created Ministry of Women Affairs. Mr. Bartels also disclosed that some of the former ministers took away official furniture and other state property.

He said as a result, new ones will have to be bought while 60 bungalows will also be renovated from the same amount for New Ministers of State.