KEEA Assembly Common Fund frozen

The Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipal Assembly is currently faced with serious liquidity problems as a result of an embargo placed on its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) by the Accra Human Rights Court.

Consequently, the assembly now depends on its relatively small internally generated funds (IGFs) from tolls and property rates for its operations.

The KEEA Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Isaac Sam, made this known when the Central Regional Minister, Mr Aquinas Quansah, paid a working visit to the municipality last Monday.

Background

The assembly is in dire financial difficulties following a case brought against it by the chiefs and elders of Egyeifrom for its failure to pay compensation for the land released for the Egyeikrom Refugee Camp.

The camp was opened by the government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on July 20, 2011 to host some Ivorian refugees.

The community released the 53-acre land to the government through the facilitation of the assembly. It, however, brought the case against the assembly after many efforts to get compensation for the land had proved futile and the court, in June last year, placed an embargo on the account of the assembly.

The issues

Explaining the issues further, the Municipal Co-ordinating Director, Alhaji Issah Musa, said the assembly was being harassed by contractors who had worked on projects because there were no funds available to pay them.

“They are pressurising us with letters and calls and the situation is bad indeed,” he stated, adding, “It is now even difficult to fuel the assembly’s vehicles for day-to-day work.”

Ghana Refugee Board

Alhaji Musah explained that the assembly and community leaders had paid many visits to the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) which was expected to ensure that the compensation was paid, but those visits had so far proved fruitless.

“The assembly is suffering because we facilitated the release of the land,” he said.

Alhaji Musa said he did not know how long the case would last but said it would be called again on May 21, 2015.

Minister

Mr Quansah said he was hopeful that the case would be resolved as soon as possible.

The tour also took Mr Quansah to the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, where he inspected projects, including those at the Amanful Basic School and the Abura St Lawrence Catholic Basic School.

He also discussed the intended relocation of the tipper truck station from Abura with the drivers.

At the KEEA, he met with the staff of the assembly and called on all the four paramount chiefs in the municipality.

He also inspected some development projects being undertaken in the area.