Local Government Minister Ahmed Ibrahim has directed the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly to provide detailed records of the utilisation of more than GH¢400,000 allocated to persons with disabilities after officials failed to account for the expenditure during a monitoring exercise.

The directive was issued during a ministerial tour of selected assemblies in the Greater Accra Region to assess the utilisation of funds disbursed through the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

The monitoring exercise, led by the minister and his deputy on June 10, covered the Ayawaso West, Ayawaso North, Ayawaso Central, and Ayawaso East municipal assemblies, with particular focus on the mandatory 3% allocation of the Common Fund to persons with disabilities (PWDs).

At the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly, the minister raised concerns after officials were unable to immediately provide complete documentation on the use of funds disbursed for PWDs. According to him, preliminary records indicated that only GH¢126,000 had been spent despite the assembly receiving more than GH¢400,000 for disability-related interventions.

Addressing officials, the minister questioned why a substantial portion of the funds remained unutilised and directed the assembly's finance officer to submit all relevant records for scrutiny on Friday, 12 June 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.

He further stated that if only GH¢126,000 had been utilised from the amount received, it was necessary to establish the status of the remaining funds and ensure they were being managed in accordance with the law.

The minister stressed that the exercise was not intended to single out any assembly but rather to strengthen transparency, accountability, and discipline in the management of public resources 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 said.

The minister warned that officials who fail to perform their responsibilities effectively would be held accountable under the existing administrative framework.

However, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ayawaso Central, Rudolph Collingwoode-Williams, has clarified that the unspent portion of the disability fund remains in the Assembly's dedicated PWD account and has not been misused.

According to the MCE, while approximately GH¢126,000 has already been disbursed to beneficiaries, the remaining balance is awaiting the completion of an ongoing vetting process to ensure that only eligible persons benefit from the support.

He explained that the assembly is carrying out the necessary assessments before releasing the next tranche of funds and that the minister was informed of the process during the visit.

The MCE further indicated that the Assembly provided records showing the balance in the account when the minister requested details of the fund.

“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 stated.

Meanwhile, Ayawaso East Member of Parliament, Baba Jamal, welcomed the monitoring exercise, describing it as a timely intervention to improve transparency and accountability in local governance.

According to him, the initiative signals a departure from old practices and demonstrates the government's commitment to ensuring public officials take responsibility for their actions and contribute meaningfully to development.

The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs says the monitoring exercise will continue in assemblies across the country as part of efforts to promote prudent financial management and ensure that funds allocated to vulnerable groups are used for their intended purposes.