An investigative hearing into the management of the Disability Common Fund in the Ada East District has unearthed a startling web of alleged cronyism, procedural breaches, and deception, with suspicions of misappropriated funds totaling approximately GHS 138,642.00.
The probe centered on the disbursement of funds on December 23, 2025, has placed the conduct of the District Director of Social Welfare, Mr. Enoch Bampoe Addy, and the District Coordinating Director (DCD), Madam Jean Amerley Tagoe, under intense scrutiny.
The most dramatic moment of the hearing occurred when Mr. Bampoe Addy testified that he had only met the project’s supplier for the first time on the day he delivered the items to the office.
In a move to verify this claim, the investigative committee placed a phone call to the supplier, Mr. Nathaniel Amanor, and put it on loudspeaker for all to hear.
Mr. Amanor’s testimony immediately exposed Mr. Addy’s statement as a fabrication; he revealed that the Director had, in fact, personally accompanied him to the market to purchase the items, an act the committee described as “alien to the norms” of public procurement.
Mr. Amanor further confirmed that he had been specifically invited by the Social Welfare Department to provide the goods.
Adding a new layer of accusation, the disability community has alleged that the District Coordinating Director unilaterally appointed Mr. Amanor, bypassing a required open tender process.
Leadership of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD) expressed deep concern, questioning why their representative on the Fund Management Committee (FMC), who also chairs the committee, was excluded from the supplier selection. This exclusion, they argue, removed crucial oversight and transparency.
Further deepening these suspicions, DisabilityNewsGH.com’s investigation has revealed that Madam Tagoe has had prior dealings with Mr. Amanor, dating back to when she served as the Municipal Social Welfare Director at the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly.
Despite serving as the Secretary to the FMC, Mr. Addy demonstrated a shocking lack of knowledge regarding the committee’s operations.
Under questioning, he claimed that he did not know who the Chairman of the Fund Management Committee was, nor could he name two other members of the six-member committee.
He also failed to provide minutes for a single meeting held by the committee. Furthermore, despite receiving prior notice, Mr. Addy was unable to produce documents detailing which beneficiaries were vetted, approved, or served during the December distribution.
He also admitted to allowing a Unit Head from the Social Welfare Department to participate in committee sittings, a direct violation of official disability fund guidelines.
The committee raised significant red flags over the value of the items supplied. While the budget allocates GHS 3,500 for first-time beneficiaries and GHS 3,000 for repeat beneficiaries, a review of photographs of the items suggested their actual market value was far below those amounts.
In a bizarre twist, procurement records reportedly misclassified several perishable food items to bypass scrutiny. Fresh salmon, onions, okra, cassava dough, and soft drinks were allegedly listed under the category of “detergents” in the official documentation.
Further allegations have been leveled against Madam Jean Amerley Tagoe. Mr. Addy testified that the Coordinating Director interfered with the committee’s final report by unilaterally changing the monetary allocations for items.
The PWDs community alleges that the true motive behind Madam Tagoe’s decision to override the committee’s agreement to provide cash grants, insisting instead on items, was to enable Assembly officials to manipulate the purchasing process for personal gain.
This alleged greed, they contend, led to the hasty purchase of highly perishable goods that spoiled before reaching beneficiaries.
The community strongly refutes Madam Tagoe’s purported reason that PWDs would “squander” cash, noting she had been at her post in the district for barely five months at the time of disbursement, casting doubt on the basis for such a sweeping generalisation.
While Mr. Addy denied knowledge of the two FMC members responsible for procurement, evidence emerged that he personally represented the Ada East District Assembly throughout the procurement process.
So far, only Mr. Addy, the local GFD Chairman, Mr. Addison Ayiku Akuaku, and the FMC Chairman, Mr. Theophilus Dugbatey Ayim, have appeared before the committee.
The Purchasing Officer, who was scheduled to testify on Wednesday, January 21, has reportedly been dodging the committee. All efforts to secure his testimony have proven futile, further stalling the quest for accountability.
The investigative committee, however, continues to review the evidence it has gathered so far.
It is expected to submit its findings to the Presiding Member of the Assembly who commissioned the probe. The report will subsequently be presented to the general house of Assembly Members for action.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
