Ghana's Minority in Parliament has rejected claims by the Finance Minister that a court order blocked GHS 350 million in flood relief funds. Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, the Ranking Member on Parliament's Works and Housing Committee, described the Finance Minister's explanation as surprising and inconsistent with earlier government assurances. This dispute follows recent severe flooding in Accra, which highlighted the government's response capabilities.
The Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, stated during the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review that efforts to access the constitutional contingency fund for flood mitigation were frustrated. He explained that a court order had garnisheed, or legally frozen, the fund. Dr. Forson emphasized that this contingency fund is Ghana's only constitutionally established emergency fund, and its unavailability posed significant challenges to disaster response.
This situation raises serious concerns about coordination within the government, particularly at the Cabinet level. Major emergency interventions are typically discussed and approved by Cabinet. Mr. Mensah Korsah questioned how Cabinet could have approved emergency flood response measures without knowing the contingency fund was inaccessible. He highlighted that the Attorney-General, as the government's chief legal advisor, sits in Cabinet and should have been aware of any legal restrictions on the fund.
Mr. Mensah Korsah, a former Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, expressed his surprise on JoyNews' The Pulse. He noted that Parliament was made to believe that government actions following the overwhelming floods were the result of Cabinet deliberations. He argued that if Cabinet had authorized interventions, it was difficult to understand why ministers, including the Attorney-General, were unaware of the legal restrictions. This suggests a potential breakdown in coordination among key ministries and state institutions involved in disaster management.
The Suame MP suggested that the development points to a lack of synergy among government agencies. He stated that the Attorney-General, being a member of Cabinet and the chief legal advisor, should have known the state of the contingency fund. He questioned the government's operational efficiency if such critical information was not shared or known at the highest levels. This lack of awareness, he argued, undermines public trust in government's ability to manage crises effectively.
Mr. Mensah Korsah also rejected the Finance Minister's allegations that the previous Akufo-Addo administration mismanaged the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project. He labeled these claims as "complete falsehoods." He asserted that government officials often present different versions of events to the public versus Parliament. This inconsistency further erodes confidence in official statements regarding public funds and projects.
He cited World Bank implementation reports from September 2024 and May 2025 to support his argument. According to Mr. Mensah Korsah, these reports did not identify any misuse of project funds by the previous administration. Instead, the reports indicated delays in the release of funds by the Ministry of Finance for the flood mitigation project. This suggests that the current government might be responsible for implementation bottlenecks, rather than the previous one.
The Ranking Member contended that the government should focus on resolving these implementation issues instead of engaging in political blame games. He implied that the Finance Ministry should address its role in delaying fund releases for the GARID project. The ongoing debate over fund accessibility and project management highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in Ghana's public finance system. Decision-makers will need to provide clearer explanations to restore public and parliamentary confidence.