The General Assembly of the Ada East District Assembly has deferred adoption of the ad-hoc committee report on the Disability Common Fund, directing the committee to do further work to ensure a thorough investigation.
The decision was taken on Friday, July 31, 2026, during the second day of the assembly’s first ordinary session of the year, after members reviewed and debated the findings presented to the house.
Assembly Members concluded that the current report was not exhaustive enough and that adopting it in its present form could allow individuals cited in the document to avoid accountability.
A major reason for withholding the report was the need for concrete evidence to support key claims. For instance, while the report cited the Coordinating Director for directing the Social Welfare Director to purchase items for beneficiaries instead of giving out cash as decided by the Fund Management Committee (FMC), the Coordinating Director denied the claim during the sitting, stating she had only offered advice.
The committee’s investigation, which was conducted in January, was hampered after several officers failed to honour invitations to appear before it.
Out of five scheduled days, the committee held two days of sittings and spent one day visiting some of the beneficiaries who received the items.
However, the remaining two days were unsuccessful as the officers failed to show up – a situation allegedly linked to an order by the District Chief Executive instructing them not to attend.
As a result, the committee was forced to prepare its preliminary report using only information gathered from the FMC Chairman, the Social Welfare Director (who serves as FMC Secretary), and a supply vendor interviewed by telephone.
To ensure a complete job is done, the Presiding Member of the Assembly, Hon. Philip Achia, has volunteered to join the committee for the remainder of the probe.
Hon. Achia also pledged to personally cover the financial cost of the upcoming committee sitting. This follows revelations that the Assembly administration failed to fund the committee’s initial meetings, failing to provide even drinking water and forcing committee members to pay out of pocket.
Meanwhile, administrative hurdles remain. An officer appointed by the Assembly to serve as secretary to the committee on Friday declined the position.
A similar incident occurred during the first phase of the inquiry, which forced a committee member to act as secretary.
It is currently unclear if the Assembly will compel the appointed officer to serve or if a committee member will have to step in again.
The committee has scheduled a final sitting for Wednesday, 5 August 2026. All key parties – including the Social Welfare Director, Procurement Officer, FMC Chairman, vendors, and beneficiaries – are expected to appear with relevant documents.
Following Wednesday’s sitting, an emergency Assembly meeting will be convened to debate the final report and implement its recommendations to pave the way for the disbursement of the funds.
During Friday’s session, Assembly Members spoke passionately about the matter, expressing dissatisfaction with how funds meant for vulnerable citizens were handled.
Speaking to DisabilityNewsGH.com after the sitting, the Ada East District President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), Mr Ayiku Akuaku, expressed frustration over the delay.
He noted that the disability community was expecting a final resolution on Friday to guide their next steps, including whether to proceed with disbursements or escalate the matter to higher authorities.
He urged the Assembly to conclude the investigation quickly, as many members are facing severe difficulties due to the delayed funds.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
