Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has directed the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly to submit detailed records on the utilisation of more than GH¢400,000 allocated to persons with disabilities (PWDs) after officials were unable to immediately account for the expenditure during a monitoring exercise.
The directive was issued during a ministerial inspection tour of selected assemblies in the Greater Accra Region aimed at assessing the use of funds disbursed through the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
The exercise, conducted on June 10, 2026, by the minister and his deputy, covered the Ayawaso West, Ayawaso North, Ayawaso Central and Ayawaso East municipal assemblies. Particular attention was given to the mandatory allocation of three percent of the Common Fund to support persons with disabilities.
At the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly, the minister expressed concern when officials failed to provide complete documentation on the use of the disability fund. Preliminary records presented during the visit indicated that only GH¢126,000 had been disbursed, despite the assembly receiving more than GH¢400,000 for disability-related interventions.
Questioning the status of the remaining funds, Mr Ibrahim directed the assembly’s finance officer to submit all relevant records for further scrutiny by Friday, June 12, 2026.
“The President has given you money for persons with disabilities. You have received it and disbursed it for them. Shouldn’t it be easier for you to account for how much you received and how it was spent?” he asked.
The minister emphasised that if only GH¢126,000 had been utilised, it was important to establish the status of the remaining balance and ensure that the funds were being managed in accordance with the law.
He stressed that the exercise was not intended to target any particular assembly but rather to strengthen transparency, accountability and financial discipline across all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
“Going forward, all MMDAs are going to sit up. Coordinating directors, municipal finance officers, budget officers and social welfare officers must all take responsibility because accountability is a collective duty,” he stated.
Mr Ibrahim further warned that public officials who fail to effectively carry out their responsibilities would be held accountable under existing administrative regulations.
Responding to the concerns, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ayawaso Central, Rudolph Collingwoode-Williams, clarified that the unspent portion of the disability fund remains intact in the Assembly’s dedicated PWD account and has not been diverted or misused.
According to him, while approximately GH¢126,000 has already been distributed to beneficiaries, the remaining funds are awaiting the completion of an ongoing vetting process designed to ensure that only qualified applicants receive support.
He explained that the assembly is undertaking the necessary assessments before releasing the next tranche of funds and that the minister was briefed on the process during the visit.
“The money is sitting in the account, which we clearly showed to the minister when he requested the balance. There is no way the money can be spent on any other purpose because it is specifically intended for persons with disabilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ayawaso East Member of Parliament, Baba Jamal, welcomed the monitoring exercise, describing it as a positive step toward improving transparency and accountability in local governance.
He said the initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that public officials are held responsible for the management of public resources and contribute effectively to national development.
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has indicated that the monitoring exercise will be extended to assemblies across the country as part of broader efforts to promote prudent financial management and ensure that funds allocated to vulnerable groups are used for their intended purposes.
