Use of Common Fund: A stern yet necessary warning

President John Dramani Mahama’s recent warning to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on the judicious use of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) is not only timely but essential for the future of local governance and development.

His unequivocal message that the misuse of public funds will not be tolerated is a call to all appointees to embrace a culture of discipline, transparency and service.

Allocating a historic 80 per cent of the DACF directly to local authorities — the highest in the Fourth Republic — signals this administration’s genuine commitment to decentralisation and grassroots development.

But with such increased funding comes greater responsibility.

It is, therefore, reassuring that President Mahama has placed the Auditor-General and anti-corruption institutions on high alert, ensuring that those entrusted with public resources are closely monitored.
The Daily Graphic sees the President’s caution as something that must not be dismissed as mere rhetoric.

It should be seen as a strong policy directive and a moral call to action.

The DACF was instituted to bridge development gaps at the local level — to fund schools, clinics, roads, water systems and job creation initiatives.

It is not meant to finance lavish lifestyles or reward political patronage.

Any official who seeks to divert or misuse these funds must be made to face the full rigour of the law.

In this regard, we strongly support the President’s call for asset declaration by all MMDCEs by July 15, 2025.

Transparency begins with personal accountability.

Declaring assets, as required by Act 550, helps to prevent illicit enrichment and fosters public trust.

This should not be treated as a bureaucratic formality but rather as a foundational measure in our collective fight against corruption.

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are the bedrock of development in our communities. It is at this level that government policies are felt most directly by the citizenry.

Whether it is the rehabilitation of a rural health post, the grading of a feeder road, or the construction of a school block, it is the local assemblies that bring governance to life.

Thus, MMDCEs must see themselves not as political overlords but as development managers with a sacred responsibility to improve the living conditions of their constituents.
We call on all MMDCEs to embrace a results-oriented mindset.

The time for political celebration is indeed over

 The era of entitlement and inaction must give way to a new dawn of service delivery, innovation and value for money.

To ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of projects, we believe several measures must be institutionalised.

First, every assembly must establish a publicly accessible digital dashboard showing all ongoing and completed projects, the contractors involved, timelines and budgetary allocations.

This level of transparency will empower citizens to demand accountability.

Second, there must be quarterly project audits conducted jointly by the Internal Audit Agency and community oversight committees.

These reports should be submitted to the Office of the President, Parliament, and made available to the media.

Third, development projects must involve genuine community participation.

Community members must be engaged from the planning to execution stages to ensure that what is delivered aligns with their actual needs and not top-down impositions.

This not only ensures relevance but also prevents ghost projects and inflated contracts.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Local Government must strengthen its inspectorate division to undertake surprise inspections of project sites.

Deliberate negligence or inflated billing should lead to swift administrative sanctions, dismissal and prosecution where appropriate.

The President’s Reset Agenda, which places emphasis on integrity, accountability and performance, must begin with  MMDCEs.

Their conduct will ultimately determine whether this government’s decentralisation efforts succeed or fail.

We echo President Mahama’s firm stance and urge that punitive measures — including dismissal and prosecution — be promptly applied to any official who misuses public funds.

The message must be clear: the DACF is for development, not self-enrichment. Ghana cannot afford to squander this opportunity to reset local governance on the pillars of responsibility and trust.

Eyes are watching. Let MMDCEs lead with integrity, or make way for those who will.