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APLUS WRITES TO SPEAKER, DEMANDS REMOVAL OF ABENA OSEI ASARE AS PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE CHAIR

MP Kwame Asare Obeng Argues Her Role as Former Deputy Finance Minister Creates an "Indefensible" Conflict of Interest

Nkonkonsa.com2 hours ago

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The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as APlus, has formally petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to support the removal of Hon. Abena Osei Asare as the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

In a strongly-worded letter dated November 2, 2025, the MP argued that Hon. Osei Asare, who served as Deputy Minister of Finance under the previous administration, lacks the moral authority to lead the committee tasked with scrutinizing government expenditures, many of which occurred during her tenure.

The letter, which has been shared on social media, states that her leadership “compromises the impartiality of the Public Accounts Committee but also diminishes public trust in Parliament’s oversight role.”

Obeng highlighted that the PAC is currently probing several controversial financial matters, including the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract, the ECG–Beijing Jao agreement, and the Service Ghana Auto Limited ambulance procurement deal—all of which fell under the purview of the Ministry of Finance while she was a Deputy Minister.

“It is inappropriate, and indeed inconsistent with the ethical standards of parliamentary oversight, for someone so deeply tied to the very administration and financial irregularities under review to preside over hearings demanding accountability from others,” the MP wrote.

In a post accompanying the letter, APlus was even more direct, stating to the public: “It is important to note — and Ghanaians must be fully aware — that all the matters currently before the Public Accounts Committee occurred under the leadership of Abena Osei Asare when she served as Deputy Minister of Finance. She cannot now turn around to demand answers from newly appointed officials on issues that happened under her own watch. That is not just hypocrisy — it is an insult to the intelligence of the Ghanaian people.”

He has requested the Speaker to take immediate action to safeguard the integrity and moral authority of the committee. The letter was also copied to the Majority and Minority Caucuses, the Clerk of Parliament, and anti-corruption bodies like CHRAJ.