BY Daniel Bampoe
The Minority in Parliament has leveled serious allegations against the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Agyei, accusing them of orchestrating an illegal withdrawal of GH¢1.4 billion from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) account at the Bank of Ghana.
The alleged transaction, which reportedly occurred in early November 2025, has sparked fresh concerns over government transparency and fiscal discipline in the management of constitutionally protected funds.
Addressing journalists in Parliament on Thursday, November 13, 2025, the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, described the act as a deliberate breach of the 1992 Constitution and a blatant disregard for the financial independence of local governance structures.
According to him, the withdrawal follows an earlier deduction of GH¢11.3 million between February and April this year from the same fund — a pattern that, he said, has crippled district assemblies nationwide and stalled critical development projects.
Annoh-Dompreh narrated that on November 4, the Controller and Accountant-General credited the DACF account as part of statutory payments, but by November 11, those funds were inexplicably blocked, and a day later — on November 12 — the account was swept clean.
“The amount involved is some GH¢1.4 billion,” he revealed, stressing that such conduct undermines the purpose of the DACF, which is to ensure equitable resource distribution for grassroots development.
The Minority’s protest is grounded in a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that reaffirmed the constitutional autonomy of the DACF, stating explicitly that allocations to the fund are not subject to executive or ministerial interference.
The Fund, established under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, mandates that not less than 5% of national revenue be allocated annually to support Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in financing local-level infrastructure, education, sanitation, and health projects.
By law, once Parliament approves allocations to the DACF, the Ministry of Finance’s role is limited to disbursement through the Controller and Accountant-General — not to suspend, redirect, or withhold such funds.
However, the Minority contends that both officials have been “micromanaging” the Fund and diverting money toward unapproved expenditures, thereby weakening local governance and eroding public trust.
“This level of fiscal impunity cannot be tolerated,” Annoh-Dompreh declared. “The Finance Minister and the Controller are acting in violation of the Constitution and a clear Supreme Court ruling. We are demanding that President John Dramani Mahama intervenes immediately and ensures that the full amount is refunded into the DACF by Tuesday, November 18, 2025.”
The Minority’s accusation adds to a series of fiscal accountability controversies that have dogged the Finance Ministry in recent months, including delays in statutory fund disbursements to the National Health Insurance Authority, GETFund, and the District Assemblies Common Fund.
Local authorities across the country have repeatedly complained that inconsistent DACF releases have halted key development projects, affecting sanitation management, school infrastructure, and health centre expansions.
