It has emerged that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the three regions of the North spent about GHC21 million of the District Assembly Common Fund and other statutory funds without proper documentation.
The Upper West Region alone spent 63% of state funds meant for development projects without due regard to laid down financial regulations.
These revelations were brought to the fore at the beginning of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) three days sitting in Tamale.
The Wa Municipal Assembly for instance, spent GHC19, 656.6 without supporting documents or receipts.
These were captured on the Auditor Generals Department query from 2010 to 2012.
[contextly_sidebar id=”wIkR9k3klIZCrqPpaIIHLriPhOibJcUR”]Acting Chairman of the PAC, Hon. Robert Sarfo Mensah recommended the prosecution of all duty bearers at the various MMDAs who will be found culpable of misappropriating public funds.
He insisted that Chief Executives of the various MMDAs and their District Finance Officers as well as Coordinating Directors should be sanctioned for spending public funds which have been unaccounted for.
He asked the Wa East district assembly to make available to the PAC, receipts and other valid documents covering monies spent by the assembly by Friday October 10, 2014.
Hon. Robert Sarfo Mensah said the entire district assembly will be surcharged if they fail to produce the relevant documents.
A ranking member of PAC who doubles as Member of Parliament for Salaga South, Hon. Ibrahim Dey Abubakari described as “totally unacceptable the wanton disbursement of public funds without recourse to the Public Procurement Order.”
Another angry member of PAC, Hon. George Loh, MP for North Dayi bemoaned the gargantuan corrupt practices uncovered at the various assemblies.
He also endorsed calls for the prosecution of unpatriotic duty bearers whose acts of commission or omission have caused financial loss to the state at various levels.
Members of the PAC were unimpressed with responses from the assemblies who appeared before it on the first day.
District Chief Executive for Wa East and his administrators were turned away to go and put their house in order and reappear.
Wa Central, Wa East, Wa West, Sisala East, Sisala West, Nadowli and Lawra all in the Upper West Region appeared before the PAC members.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com