Graphic designer Mr Anthony Kwaku Appiah has finally taken delivery of his printer after the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) moved to address the breakdown within 48 hours of an exposé by DisabilityNewsGH.com – only for the same machine to fail again during handover.
Mr Appiah, a beneficiary of the District Disability Common Fund, picked up the machine on Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Assembly premises.
The sequence of events shows how the Assembly acted only after intense media pressure, following weeks of inaction:
• Sunday, 23 August: DisabilityNewsGH.com published an investigation exposing how the GH₵2,300 printer given to Mr Appiah had broken down shortly after delivery and was abandoned by officials.
• Tuesday, 25 August: Less than 48 hours after publication, Assembly management contacted Mr Appiah and ordered him to return the faulty machine to Stores following emergency meetings.
• Friday, 28 August: The Assembly called Mr Appiah late in the afternoon to collect the repaired machine. Due to the late notification, collection was rescheduled to Monday.
• Monday, 31 August: The machine was collected following a technical failure during testing.
Mr Appiah arrived expecting a replacement matching his original request for a heavy-duty commercial printer. Instead, he was presented with the same defective unit that had been sent to a vendor for repairs.
During a test on the Assembly floor prior to sign-off, the printer developed the same fault in front of staff.
A second technician had to be summoned to fix it on the spot. Only after the second emergency repair was Mr Appiah made to sign a document acknowledging receipt of the repaired machine.
Speaking after the handover, Mr Appiah said he is now hoping the fault does not resurface during his printing work.
Assembly’s “No Knowledge” Claim False
In its official rejoinder dated August 26, 2026, issued after DisabilityNewsGH.com‘s initial publication, ASHMA denied any knowledge of the faulty printer.
WHAT ASHMA CLAIMED:
“Before the media publication, the management of the Assembly had no knowledge of this development. Mr. Anthony Kwaku Appiah did not report the breakdown of the machine to the management of the Assembly.”
DisabilityNewsGH.com can confirm that this claim is false:
1. On-record admission: Before publication, both the Chairman and the Secretary of the Disability Fund Management Committee admitted in interviews that they had received Mr Appiah’s complaint, but cited “warranty challenges” as the reason for their inaction.
2. In-person notice: The interview with the Secretary (Social Welfare Director) in her office took place about a month before publication. No action was taken until after publication.
Unresolved Issues Remain
While the printer has been patched, major questions remain: The balance: Mr Appiah was approved for GH₵5,000 for a commercial printer. The machine delivered was valued at GH₵2,300. Even after ASHMA’s admitted 7% administrative charge, GH₵2,350 remains unaccounted for. The Assembly remains silent on the balance.
The laptop: No action has been taken on the case of Mr Patrick Dafeamekpor, a deaf beneficiary for whom GH₵3,800 was approved for a new laptop, but who received a broken, scuffed second-hand unit valued at less than GH₵2,000.
DisabilityNewsGH.com reiterates its call on the Auditor-General, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and EOCO to launch a forensic audit into ASHMA’s management of the Disability Common Fund.
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
