PUBLIC ACCOUNTS C'TTEE BEGINS SITTING IN TAMALE

The Public Accounts Committee’s ongoing nationwide sitting for the three northern regions begun in Tamale Sunday August 22 at the West African Examination Centre in Tamale where Hon. Kan Dapaah, Chairman of the Committee threatened to recommend to government to suspend subsequent common fund allocation for the Sisala West District Assembly in the Upper West Region.

This followed the Sisala West District Assembly management team’s inability to account for monies that were spent without recourse to the Procurement Act.

It was detected that the WA Municipal Assembly also spent One Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty Million Cedis without receipts.

The Committee also uncovered that some of the District Assemblies’ expenditure exceeded their budgetary allocations which needed immediate redress.

Further discoveries pointed to the fact that only 49% of the WA Municipal Assembly’s internally generated revenue was spent on development projects whereas the 51% was used for administrative purpose which Mr. Kan Dapaah, Chairman of the Committee said was totally unacceptable.

These and several flaws were detected when the first five DCE’s for Sisala East, Sisala West, Jirapa/Lambusie, Lawra/Nandom and WA Municipal Assemblies all in the Upper West Region appeared before the Committee.

But the WA Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Duogu Yakubu told the Committee that the anomalies had been rectified and promised that the necessary financial statements will be submitted later to the appropriate quarters for redress.

Hon. Albert Kan Dapaah advised the MMDCE’s to be guided by the District Assembly laws governing revenue generation and expenditure to avoid the tendency of being jailed for misappropriation of the tax payers money.

Hon. Kan Dapaah compelled the MMDCE’s to constantly submit their annual reports to the Auditor Generals Department for scrutinizing, three months prior to December ending.

He also expressed worry over the low representation of the required number of the top ten ranking officials of the various assemblies who were expected to appear before the Committee.

The Committee Chairman explained that the exercise sought to ensure accountability and probity at the various assemblies and thereby urged the MMDCE’s not to consider the work of the Committee as “Witch hunting” but rather cooperate fully with the members whose duty is to ensure that State resources are not misappropriated.

Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister complained about the selective nature of the exercise and underscored the need for the Committee to consider making subsequent sittings all-inclusive which he noted will hold MMDCE’s accountable for their stewardship.

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