The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Tempane in the Upper East Region, Paul Azuma Abugri, has suggested that there should be a way to factor the poverty levels of every district into the computation the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) formula.
According to him, this will ensure an evenly and equitable allocation of the resources created under section 252 of the 1992 Constitution for the development of the districts.
Mr. Abugri made the call when he led members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development to inspect the construction of a court complex building in the district, which is being funded through the DACF.
The project, when completed, will have 23 offices, assembly hall, client service area, drivers and workers’ lounges, 150 capacity conference room, two-unit four-seater water closets and other facilities.
The DCE said the assembly, which was carved out of the then Garu-Tempane District, lacks accommodation for staff and due to that many of them refuse postings to the district.
At Garu District, the committee members led by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo-Ano North, Suleman Sanid, also inspected a similar project there.
The DCE, Emmanuel Asore Avoka, said the district’s magistrate court building was put up with funds from District Development Funding (DDF) by the donor community.
He indicated that there was no allocation from DACF for the project and appealed to the parliamentary committee to follow up on the issue.
He expressed frustration over lack of funds for development projects for the district, pointing out that the capping of the DACF had affected the Garu District in particular, and said the quantum received as the district’s share of the DACF was negligible.
The DACF, a statutory fund, has been capped by the government in adherence to the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, 2017 (Act 947).
The committee members also inspected DACF projects in Bolgatanga East District, Bongo District, and the Kassena Nankana West District.
At the Bolgatanga East District, the committee praised the DCE, Rev. Emmanuel Abugri Abole, for showing leadership and seeing to the construction of the assembly’s office complex which was 95% completed.
The project, with a varied contract sum of GH¢2.944 million, was commenced in November 2018 and it is expect to be handed over to the assembly in June this year, according to the DCE.
“Indeed, you have shown leadership and ensured proper monitoring of the project. You were not given information on the project, yet you kept pushing for the project to be completed with proper supervision. Keep it up,” MP for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim indicated.
The MP observed that some of the districts had done well, while others appeared indifferent in seeing the completion of the DACF projects.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Tempane-U/E