Give Us Mills Funeral Budget � MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah has called on the planning committee for the celebration of the first anniversary of the death of former President John Evans Atta Mills to make known the budget for the celebration because public money would be used for the event. He said the celebration of the first anniversary of the death former Prof Atta Mills was worthy, but stressed that the budget for the celebration ought to be made public or presented to Parliament. The MP for Manhyia North made the call after he enquired on the floor of Parliament whether there was any budget available for the celebration when MPs paid tribute to the late president on the last day before they rose for a long recess. When the MP for Manhyia North made the enquiries, the Majority Leader, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor noted that the anniversary would be held privately by the family. According to the Manhyia North MP, that could not be true because the former presidential spokesperson, Koku Anyidoho had publicly come out to state that a secretariat had been set up for the first year anniversary and that individuals or group of persons or institutions who want to make any donation towards the celebration could do that through the secretariat. �We know he was the first gentleman of the land and the state yet in the mist of economic difficulties we spent so much on his funeral and so definitely we know that on the first anniversary some public money would be made available for the occasion,� he noted. According to Mr Owusu Amankwah, when the president died last year there were constant calls on the planning committee to publicize the budget for the funeral. According to him, there was �some� massaging of the figures so individuals could benefit from �where they did not sow.� �I have a strong feeling that some people again want to take advantage of this celebration to make money so there should be a proper mechanism to check the budget drawn for the celebration.� The government would do Ghanaians good if money spent on the celebration is made known to all Ghanaians, the MP said. �It is our money that would be used for the celebration especially when the country is facing serious financial challenges.