The management of the Ada East District Assembly is facing explosive new accusations of a cover-up from the local disability community, following an abrupt administrative directive by the District Coordinating Director to force the planning and distribution of highly disputed and deteriorated livelihood items.
The development comes as the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development begins a nationwide inspection tour of district assemblies to evaluate the disbursement of the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Common Fund, among others.
Information reaching DisabilityNewsGH.com indicates that the District Coordinating Director has circulated an official letter, which began circulating on June 11, directing the Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) to convene a meeting within seven days to plan the disbursement of the long-boycotted items.
Disability leaders argue this is a calculated administrative maneuver to force the committee’s hand, bypass their ongoing resistance, and quickly dispose of the controversial items before the touring Minister arrives in the district.
Crucially, these boycotted items are considered key physical exhibits in an ongoing corruption and procurement probe.
Representatives of the disability community argue that forcing a meeting to plan their distribution is a direct attempt to “destroy evidence” and clear the warehouse before the General Assembly can officially debate and implement the recommendations of its own investigative committee early next month.
The Brewing Confrontation
The Coordinating Director’s June 11 directive follows a tense emergency meeting on Wednesday, June 3, called by the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Kenneth Kabu Kanor.
At that meeting, the DCE and the District Social Welfare Director, Mr. Enoch Addy, reportedly tried to persuade committee representatives to convince their members to collect the items they have boycotted since December.
Many of those items, which have been stored in poor conditions for over six months, have since rotted or become heavily infested with weevils and other pests.
The committee representatives flatly refused to cooperate.
“We refused to yield then, and we will not be forced into a corner by this seven-day directive,” a community representative said. “The Assembly was given ample opportunity earlier this year to remedy this botched procurement, but they failed to do so. Rushing to force us into a meeting to plan the distribution of rotten items, just because the Minister is touring, is an insult to our dignity.”
A Damning Probe and Calls for Resignation
The rush to clear the items also coincides with the looming presentation of a damning investigative report. On May 21, an independent investigative committee – set up by the General Assembly to probe procurement and distribution irregularities – submitted its findings to the Presiding Member.
The report, which contains two major recommendations – the immediate resignation of the District Social Welfare Director, Mr. Enoch Addy, and a full refund of the public funds spent on the failed procurement – is set to be officially laid before the house very soon.
The Presiding Member of the Ada East District Assembly has confirmed to DisabilityNewsGH.com that the General Assembly is scheduled to convene early next month to officially receive and debate the report, though the actual date is yet to be finalised.
This July timeline explains the sudden urgency of the Coordinating Director’s June 11 directive; disability leaders allege it is a race against time to dispose of the physical evidence before the General Assembly can officially act on the committee’s findings.
A History of Failed Mediation
This week’s escalation is the latest in a series of failed attempts by the Assembly to make the issue disappear. Earlier this year, immediately after the official investigation commenced, an emergency mediation meeting was held at the instance of Mr. Frederick Assor, Board Chairman of the National Council on Persons with Disability (NCPD).
During that meeting, which included the DCE and the Social Welfare Director, leaders of the disability community agreed to temporarily suspend their boycott on one strict condition: that the items undergo an official valuation to verify their true market cost and guide beneficiaries on fair retail pricing.
The Assembly failed to fulfill the valuation agreement, leading to a continued stalemate and repeated failed attempts by the Social Welfare Department to force collection.
Legal Redress and Petitions
Fearing that the Coordinating Director’s forced timeline will successfully erase the physical evidence of procurement fraud, disability leaders are taking swift action.
They are contemplating serving the Assembly a “cease-and-desist” warning. Simultaneously, the leadership will petitioning the Greater Accra Regional Minister to intervene and protect the exhibits.
Meanwhile, leaders have issued an urgent directive to all PWDs within the district to resist any pressure to accept the items.
They warn that accepting the compromised goods at this critical juncture would “amount to shooting themselves in the foot” and could legally compromise their claims for restitution.
Attempts to Reach Officials
Efforts by DisabilityNewsGH.com to obtain the DCE’s side of the story began on Friday, June 5 – exactly two days after his June 3 emergency meeting.
Despite multiple subsequent phone calls to book a formal interview, the DCE, Hon. Kenneth Kabu Kanor, failed to make time for the publication, repeatedly stating that he was currently “too busy.”
This is a developing story. DisabilityNewsGH.com will update this report if and when the Ada East District Assembly officials provide a formal response.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
