By Nadia Ntiamoah
A sharp exchange unfolded before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee after the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region was questioned over a GH₵150,000 fuel expenditure recorded in a single day.
The issue came up during PAC sittings on April 22, 2026, where the Ranking Member, Samuel Atta-Mills, demanded explanations for both the scale of the expenditure and the manner in which the payment was made.
According to details presented to the Committee, the Assembly reportedly spent over GH₵150,000 on fuel for DRIP machines on November 4, 2024.
The figure immediately raised concerns among members of the Committee, with Atta-Mills describing the transaction as inconsistent with expected public financial management standards.
“On November 4, 2024, in one day, you paid over GH₵150,000 for fuel for DRIP machines… things are not adding up,” he stated during the proceedings.
Further scrutiny revealed that the payment was made in cash, despite indications that the Assembly had challenges honouring cheque payments.
The transaction was also said to have been paid to TotalEnergies on December 31, a timing that Committee members described as unusual.
Chairperson of the Committee, Abena Osei-Asare, expressed concern over the use of cash for such a high-value transaction, questioning the Assembly’s financial controls and accountability systems.
“The GH₵150,000 was paid in cash. For an Assembly that struggles to honour its cheques, you disbursed GH₵150,000 in cash to buy fuel in a day,” she noted.
The development has prompted calls for further investigation, with Atta-Mills urging the Auditor-General’s Department to probe the expenditure and establish whether due processes were followed.
The Atwima Nwabiagya Municipal Assembly is yet to publicly provide detailed justification for the transaction as the matter remains under review.
