The Ho West District Assembly has rejected reports that it spent the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) on funeral donations, chiefs and other minor projects.
[contextly_sidebar id=”fIAmEfOiIRMHjwaEj2JRPnzVt2yasBnP”]The Chronicle Newspaper in its June 29 edition and Joy News on July 15 reported the Ho West District Assembly per a purported Audit Report covering operations for the year 2014, the Assembly spent over half a million cedis on “funerals and donations to chiefs and queen mothers among other things at a time when the road infrastructure and other development projects [in the area] are in dire condition.”
The report further stated that “for example donations to Chiefs/Queen mothers and communities at festivals for January – December 2014 amounted to GHC11, 429.00 and this included funeral donations. Transport and traveling expenditure covering the 12 months period of 2014 was GHC33, 923.00. Expenditure on Farmers Day including cost of awards presented to deserving farmers amounted to GHC 27,707 whilst Independence Day celebrations across the district amounted to GHC 10,072.”
But a statement signed by the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Ho West District Assembly, Samuel Ewoade denied the reports.
Mr Samuel Ewoade said the audit report is an interim report pending official recognition but was hijacked by distractors in the district who he said are bent on plotting the downfall of some key officials in the district.
He added that the figures captured in the said audit report are misleading and do not depict a true picture of the income and expenditure of the assembly.
“Figures being bandied about concerning expenditure on the above-mentioned items amounting to several millions of Cedis are not consistent with those on our Books. As a matter of fact, our total receipts of the Common Fund for 2014 do not add up to half a million cedis which was said to be spent on donations, T&T and the like according to the publication,” he noted.
Mr. Samuel Ewoade further insisted on being innocent and expressed his readiness to assist any institution tasked to conduct further investigations.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey & King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana