The Office of the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) has issued a stern directive enforcing the exclusion of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Coordinating Directors, and Finance Officers from local PWD fund committees.
This directive is contained in a newly dispatched official circular dated July 6, 2026, which serves as an urgent administrative intervention to crack down on persistent political interference in the management of the PWD Common Fund.
Although the revised guidelines excluding these top local government officials were introduced in late 2024 and became fully operational in 2025, investigations by DisabilityNewsGH.com reveal that several local assembly bosses have continued to force their influence on the committees, prompting the DACF to step in and strictly enforce the ban this week.
The circular, signed by the DACF Administrator and distributed to all assemblies, explicitly reminds local authorities that these officials have no legal standing on the Disability Fund Management Committees (DFMCs)… (continues with the rest of the previous story)
“Under the revised guidelines, the composition of the Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) was reviewed to strengthen its independence and improve accountability in decision-making,” the circular reads. “Consequently, the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Chief Executive, the Coordinating Director, and the Finance Officer are no longer members of the Committee.”
According to the DACF, this new arrangement is designed to ensure that the selection of beneficiaries and the allocation of resources are done with complete “autonomy and objectivity.”
The directive also addresses the issue of unauthorised spending by local assembly bosses. The Administrator emphasised that all expenditures charged to the PWD Fund must strictly originate from, and be approved by, the independent DFMC.
Acknowledging what it described as “lapses in compliance,” the DACF has directed all Chief Executives and Coordinating Directors to immediately hand over full spending controls to the reconstituted committees.
This directive comes in the wake of high-profile standoffs between local authorities and PWD leaders. In districts like Ada East, the local PWD committee recently accused the District Chief Executive (DCE) and the Coordinating Director of attempting to bypass the committee to force the distribution of unauthorised, weevil-infested livelihood items.
The new national directive effectively strips such officials of the administrative power to buy or distribute any items without the explicit, documented approval of the DFMC.
To enforce compliance, the DACF has laid down strict operational requirements that all assemblies must implement immediately:
1. Mandatory Reconstitution: Assemblies must immediately review and reconstitute their DFMCs in line with the new guidelines, and submit the names of the new independent members to both the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS) and the DACF.
2. Documentary Auditing: All financial returns submitted to the DACF must now be accompanied by official reports and minutes of deliberations from the DFMC. Every single disbursement must be backed by written committee approval.
3. Public Transparency: Assemblies are instructed to regularly publish beneficiary information and support details to prevent fund duplication and ensure equitable distribution.
The timing of the circular aligns with the ongoing national push for PWD fund accountability. On June 23, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, spoke on the floor of Parliament, urging MPs to “put fire” on local officers who mismanage these resources.
By copying the circular to the Minister for Local Government, the Head of the Local Government Service, and the Auditor-General, the DACF is signaling that any assembly failing to comply with the new guidelines will face immediate audit sanctions and potential prosecution.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
