The Administrator of Districts Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Irene Naa Torshie Addo-Lartey, and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Daniel Kwaku Botwe, appear to have a chilly relationship.
This issue has reached President Akufo-Addo‘s desk.
The action was taken as a result of persistent disputes between the two top government appointees regarding the distribution of the Common Fund, which led to the sector Minister reporting the Administrator to the President.
This is related to a string of correspondences between the Common Fund Boss and Lawmaker for Okere regarding what the Minister called the fund’s discretionary disbursement.
One such letter, dated May 4, 2023, and signed by the sector minister, says, in part, “The attention of the Ministry has been drawn to the discretionary allocation of funds for specific Projects/activities for District Assemblies Common fund.
“For instance, I have attached to the copy a letter addressed to the Western North Regional Minister allocating a total sum of GHC1 Million to the Member of Parliament for Bia East Constituency.”
In the attached letter, a reference was made in paragraph 2 to indicate that “we write to inform you that approval has been given for contract sum not exceeding GHC 1 million. Since the Ministry has never been consulted and involved in such approval, could you clarify the approving authority and process of approval”
It was closely followed by a letter dated July 10, 2023, to the President arguing that “the trigger for the utilization of the allocations stated above can and should only be done by the Minister for Local Government and Decentralization and Rural Development, on behalf of Government to ensure consistency with the government’s aspiration for development of the MMDAs”
