The Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, has accused the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, of misleading the public regarding the financial state of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA).

George has alleged that the previous Akufo-Addo administration engaged in a third-party contract that redirects revenue away from NITA. According to him, although services run on NITA’s infrastructure, the revenue generated is funneled to a third-party firm, leaving only 25 Ghana Cedis in NITA’s account.

Describing the situation as a case of “state capture,” George stated:

“National Information Technology Agency (NITA), for example, has 25 Ghana Cedis, 8 pesewas as its bank balance at the Bank of Ghana. Meanwhile, the agency owes GHC813,486,505.89. This is the ministry we took over.”

However, in an interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Thursday, Opoku accused George of misrepresenting the facts about NITA’s finances.

He explained that in January, the Minister for Finance instructed the Controller and Accountant General to sweep funds from state agencies’ accounts as part of efforts to settle bonds. By February, all funds held on behalf of state agencies, including those at the Bank of Ghana, had been withdrawn.

Opoku revealed that on February 4, NITA’s management wrote to the Finance Minister, through the Minister for Communications, highlighting their financial obligations and the impact of the fund removal.

He further challenged George’s claim that NITA has an outstanding debt of GHC813 million, calling it inaccurate.

*”I think that Sam George is being disingenuous. He is not being truthful to the Ghanaian people. He is aware that in January, the Minister for Finance, in an attempt to pay off bonds, instructed the Controller and Accountant General to sweep funds from state agencies’ accounts.

“So in February, the Controller and Accountant General removed all monies that were being held for and on behalf of state agencies, some by BoG.

“In fact, when that happened on February 4, the management of NITA wrote a letter to the Finance Minister through the Minister for Communications, explaining that they have obligations.

“…The Minister goes further to say that there is a huge debt hanging over the agency, which he knows is not true,”* Opoku said.

The Mpraeso MP called for greater transparency and accountability in discussions about NITA’s finances, stressing the need for accurate information to guide public understanding and policy decisions.