Government has assured metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies that their statutory fund for the last quarter would hit their various accounts by the end of the week.

Deputy Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Emmanuel Kwadwo told Joy News government had challenges” which caused the delay in the releasing of funds to the MMDAs

Some district and municipal chief executives are going into hiding. They are running away from those they owe huge sums of money.

The DCEs are unable to pay their debts because of government’s failure to release statutory funds. Those in the Northern region are said to be hardest hit as they are now finding it difficult to run the assemblies.

Joy News sources say since the beginning of this year, government has failed to pay the assemblies, their share of the Common Fund. Government is said to have violated sections of the 1992 Constitution which stipulates that a minimum of 5 percent of national revenue be shared among all MMDAs.

This has also affected some student beneficiaries of the assembly’s scholarship scheme. Some of the students who spoke to Joy News say they have been frustrated by the development.

But the Deputy Local Government Minister said government is in the process of disbursing funds for one quarter to the MMDAs.

He is hopeful by the close of this week or early next week the assemblies would be paid.

He however said the remaining quarters which would still be in arrears would be paid in later dates but would not give timeline.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Obuasi East, Edward Ennin has threatened he would be heading to court to challenge government’s freezing of his HIPC accounts and failure to release the statutory payments.

He told Joy News he personally held a meeting with the Minister of Finance who assured him that latest by Thursday the monies would be paid.

He said even though the ministry had once reneged on its promise to Parliament, he would this time hold the minister to his word.

Ï will take them on legally if they don’t fulfill their promise on Thursday,” he warned.