The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur was humiliated at Wednesday’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) setting after she accused a Director at the ministry of absconding with GHȼ14,000.
The Minister who was giving account on how monies have been utilized alleged that, Mariama Yahya, a former Director of the Department of Children failed to account for the money which has been in her custody since 2013.
This angered the Chairman of the Committee, Kweku Agyemang Manu causing him to issue a two week ultimatum to the Gender Ministry to retrieve the money from Mariama.
But the accused, Ms. Mariama Yahya who claimed to be watching the sitting on television rushed to Parliament and demanded she be given a hearing. She explained that, the GHȼ14,000 was used for official assignment with receipt to show thus cannot be said to have absconded with it.
“I use the money for interviews and other official duties and I have receipts to prove it” Mariama Yahya stressed.
However, she alleged that, Nana Oye Lithur for no apparent reason interdicted her and has since changed all the locks to her office making it difficult for her to assess the documents and receipts to prove her innocence.
"I have all the receipts of what i used the money for in my office but the Minister has changed all the locks to my office" she disclosed.
The aggrieve former Director of the Department of Children at the Gender Ministry said not even the intervention of the Head of Civil Service has gotten to Gender Minister to back down on her decision.
Based on this backdrop, Ms. Mariama Yahya said she cannot be accused of misappropriating funds at the Ministry.
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