The standoff between the Ada East District Assembly and the local disability community has intensified following a second failed attempt to disburse items under the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).
In a new development, it has emerged that Social Welfare Department officials allegedly engaged in “clandestine” supplementary purchases in a desperate bid to satisfy the protesters before an official investigation commences.
The Second Boycott
For the second time in less than a month, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the district have refused to accept start-up items intended for their economic empowerment.
The beneficiaries argue that the items provided do not match the value of the 3% statutory allocation earmarked for them.
Tensions rose further when officials abandoned the standard public disbursement format. Rather than holding a transparent ceremony, officials reportedly contacted PWDs individually, inviting them to collect items in private—a move the beneficiaries viewed as an attempt to bypass leadership scrutiny and weaken their collective bargaining power.
The “Clandestine” Rectification
According to information gathered by DisabilityNewsGH.com, following the high-profile boycott of the initial disbursement on December 24, 2025, officials from the Social Welfare Department reportedly went back to purchase additional items in secret.
This move is widely believed to be a panicked attempt to “top up” the existing stock to meet the expectations of the PWD leadership. However, instead of building trust, this secret procurement has only deepened suspicions.
PWD leaders are now questioning where the funds for these “extra” items came from and why they were not part of the original procurement plan if the funds were available.
Pre-empting the Investigation
The timing of these secret purchases is particularly notable, as a seven-member investigative committee is set to begin its hearings on 15 January 2026.
The committee was established by the Assembly to probe the “disbursement fiasco” and investigate allegations of financial impropriety.
Observers within the district suggest that the Social Welfare Department’s recent actions were a tactical move to “fix the records” and silence the beneficiaries before they could testify before the committee.
The Background of Distrust
The crisis began on Christmas Eve 2025, when PWDs rejected items they claimed were overpriced and irrelevant to their specific business needs.
Under current national policy, the 3% DACF allocation for PWDs is used to purchase tools such as sewing machines, deep freezers, and ovens to promote self-reliance. However, the “item-based” system is frequently criticised for being prone to procurement inflation.
In Ada East, the PWD community has remained resolute: they are demanding full transparency.
As the 15 January hearing date approaches, the disability community in Ada East is calling on the investigative committee to look beyond the physical items and scrutinise the entire procurement timeline—including these latest “clandestine” acquisitions.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
