NITA’s GHC 813 million debt is gov’t liability, not ours – Davis Opoku clarifies

Member of Parliament Davis Ansah Opoku has addressed recent allegations about the National Information Technology Agency (NITA). These claims were made by Communication Minister Samuel Nartey George.

Opoku stated that NITA's debt of GHS 813,486,505.89 is a Government of Ghana liability. He clarified that this debt arises from the Smart Workplace system deployment across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The costs include software licenses, maintenance, and support services. These financial obligations should be settled by the Ministry of Finance.

He also mentioned that other debts were incurred before NITA’s infrastructure was transferred to a private contractor. Some debts arose while providing essential ICT services to MDAs.

Regarding NITA’s bank balance of GHS 25.08 as of February 2025, Opoku explained this situation. He noted that funds were swept into the Government Consolidated Account by the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department. This action is part of routine public financial management procedures.

Opoku's clarification follows accusations from Samuel George. George claimed the previous Akufo-Addo administration engaged in a contract that diverts NITA’s revenue. He described this situation as state capture, stating that despite NITA's infrastructure facilitating services, its revenue is redirected elsewhere.