The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Hon. Kwame Asare Obeng, has formally written to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, requesting his intervention and support for the removal of Hon. Abena Osei Asare as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
In his letter to the Speaker, Hon. Asare Obeng raised deep concerns about what he described as a potential conflict of interest and a threat to the integrity of Parliament’s oversight responsibilities.
According to him, the PAC serves as one of Parliament’s most vital instruments for promoting transparency, accountability, and prudent use of public funds and therefore must be led by a person whose impartiality and credibility are beyond reproach.
He argued that Hon. Abena Osei Asare’s previous role as Deputy Minister of Finance during the administration of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta compromises her ability to lead the Committee objectively. He cited several controversial contracts signed during her tenure, including the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract, the ECG–Beijing Jao Loss Reduction agreement, and the Service Ghana Auto Limited ambulance procurement deal, all of which are currently under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Hon. Asare Obeng further stated that Hon. Abena Osei Asare’s public defence of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Commissioner-General, Rev. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, when he declined to disclose his age, casts further doubt on her commitment to transparency and accountability.
“It is morally indefensible for Hon. Abena Osei Asare to preside over a Committee that demands accountability from newly appointed officials on matters that occurred under her direct watch as Deputy Minister of Finance,” the MP wrote.
“Such a situation not only compromises the impartiality of the Public Accounts Committee but also diminishes public trust in Parliament’s oversight role,” he added.
He emphasised that Parliament must safeguard its moral authority and credibility by ensuring that the leadership of key oversight committees is free from any appearance of bias or conflict of interest.
The Gomoa Central MP, therefore, appealed to the Speaker to “take immediate steps to support the removal of Hon. Abena Osei Asare as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee to protect the integrity and impartiality of both the Committee and Parliament as an institution.”
The petition comes at a time when the PAC has been actively holding public sittings on financial infractions uncovered in recent Auditor-General’s reports.
