By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The Minority Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development have expressed alarm over what they describe as the “clandestine scheming” by the Government to claim the District Road Improvement Project for political gains. This project was initiated by MPs in conjunction with the Administrator of the Common Fund.
According to the MPs, “this program was created through the efforts of Members of Parliament, the Local Government and Rural Development Committee, and the Administrator of the DACF, approved at the Committee of the Whole in Parliament to reduce the infrastructure gap between urban and rural Ghana.” They noted that the Local Government Committee, “realizing the quantum of outstanding arrears on the quarterly releases from the Ministry of Finance to the DACF, took the initiative to demand that these arrears be paid to the DACF for onward disbursement to the Assemblies.”
Addressing the media shortly after the program was launched at the Black Star Square, where the MPs were present merely as witnesses, Minority Spokesperson on Local Government, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, said they were surprised by the President’s speech. He mentioned that “the program would directly be under the authority and supervision of the MMDCEs,” suggesting that the “MPs have been sorely deleted from the management of this program we have created and initiated.” Vanderpuye stated, “We are by this press conference asking that this bad faith exhibited and the exclusion of the MPs must be reversed immediately.”
Mr. Nii Lante Vanderpuye emphasized for the record, “It is therefore gratifying to note that MPs wholly accepted this move at the Committee of the Whole, and the Administrator faithfully assured all MPs that they would be involved in the management of the program. This assurance was reiterated by the Minister of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development. Taking into consideration the complaints by the Honourable Members of Parliament regarding the adverse impact of deplorable road conditions in their districts, we, together with the Administrator of the Common Fund, decided to use these arrears to acquire equipment for the MMDAs to help alleviate the difficulties and pressure on the MPs and MMDCEs. Refer to the 2024 DACF formula.”
Documents related to this matter are attached below;
