Chairperson of Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Queenstar Maame Pokua Sawyer, has issued a strong warning to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) found misappropriating funds meant for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
She described the misuse of PwD funds as disturbing and unacceptable. “While meeting with the MMDCEs, we noticed that a lot of them are mishandling the disability fund. Their usual excuse is that they are borrowing the money and will replace it later — but whether they replace it or not, nobody knows,” she said.
She added that there was little evidence that such funds were ever refunded to the appropriate accounts.
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Speaking after the public sitting of the Committee on Thursday to review internal audit reports of the assemblies, Hon Sawyer expressed her passion about ensuring proper use of the disability fund, reminding public officials that disability can affect anyone at any time.
She said, “Any of us can be disabled anytime, any minute. If the government has allocated this money to support them, it must be used properly. When the assemblies distribute it, beneficiaries don’t even get much, and sometimes officials use it to buy items on their behalf without consulting them.”
She condemned such actions as disrespectful and insensitive to the needs of the beneficiaries and deplored the way such beneficiaries are treated. These funds are meant for their empowerment, not to be controlled or misused by others,” she emphasized.
Disability funds
The Committee Chairperson vowed to hold officials accountable for the misuse of PwD funds in future audits, warning that punitive measures will be taken against those found culpable.
“Next year, if we find that anybody has done this again, we’ll be very hard on them — whether it’s the finance officer, coordinating director, or DCE. We will ensure action is taken because this is just not right,” she declared.
She disclosed that the Committee’s findings would soon be compiled into a comprehensive report for presentation to key government bodies. “We’ll submit our report within a week to the Speaker of Parliament, the Minister for Local Government, and the Chief of Staff so that they are fully aware of what’s happening in the assemblies,” she said.
Hon. Queenstar Sawyer attributed the problem to weak monitoring systems at the district level, which have allowed officials to exploit the funds.
“There is a policy and a quota on how the disability fund should be spent, but because monitoring is weak, they use it anyhow,” she said.
She added that the Committee’s oversight visits across the country — covering over 27 districts — aim to tighten supervision and restore financial discipline at the local level.
According to her, the misuse of funds is partly due to the increased financial allocations under the decentralisation policy, which gives assemblies greater control over public resources.
“Now, a lot of money goes to the assemblies — in fact, DCEs receive more than MPs. When people receive more resources without proper supervision, they tend to misuse them. That’s why we’re monitoring them closely,” she assured.
The Committee Chairperson noted that although the current reports cover 2023 and 2024, the goal is to prevent future mismanagement under the ongoing government.
“I’m not blaming them too much because these are past reports, but by starting our monitoring early, we’re ensuring that in 2025, no one will misuse any money meant for our people with disabilities,” she said.
The Local Government and Rural Development Committee is expected to conclude its public sittings on Friday and release its findings within a week, marking a decisive step toward safeguarding funds allocated to vulnerable groups.