By Issah Olegor
The Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly has been ranked as the worst-performing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA) in the Eastern Region and the lowest-performing assembly in Ghana in the 2025 Public Financial Management Compliance League Table (PFMCLT), raising fresh concerns over financial governance and accountability within the municipality.
The latest Public Financial Management Compliance League Table, produced under the European Union-funded PFMCLT Project and implemented by the Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA), assessed the financial management performance of all 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies across the country.
The assessment measures compliance with public financial management regulations aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and prudent use of public resources.
According to the report, Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly recorded a score of just 8.50 percent, placing 261st out of 261 assemblies nationwide, making it the poorest-performing local authority in Ghana.
The municipality also finished 33rd out of the 33 assemblies in the Eastern Region, cementing its position at the bottom of the regional rankings.
The result represents a dramatic decline from the previous year’s assessment. In the 2024 league table, the assembly was ranked 82nd nationally and 20th in the Eastern Region. Its fall to the last position nationally and regionally highlights a significant deterioration in its compliance with public financial management standards.
The report further showed that the assembly’s performance was far below the national average score of 56.20 percent, underscoring the extent of its challenges in meeting financial management compliance requirements.
Within the Eastern Region, Kwahu Afram Plains North District Assembly emerged as the best-performing assembly with a score of 80.75 percent, followed by Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly with 79.00 percent, while Atiwa West District Assembly placed third with 77.60 percent. Other assemblies occupying the top ten positions included Denkyembour, Akyemansa, Abuakwa North, Birim North, Fanteakwa North, Achiase and Birim Central.
At the opposite end of the regional rankings, Nsawam-Adoagyiri finished behind Akuapim South Municipal Assembly, Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly, New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, New Juaben North Municipal Assembly, West Akim Municipal Assembly and Suhum Municipal Assembly, all of which recorded substantially higher scores.
Nationally, Bia East District Assembly topped the 2025 rankings with a score of 94.50 percent, followed by Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly with 93.50 percent and Asokwa Municipal Assembly with 92.00 percent. Nsawam-Adoagyiri’s score of 8.50 percent placed it well behind every other assembly assessed in the country.
The Public Financial Management Compliance League Table has become an important accountability tool for evaluating the financial management practices of local governments. By comparing annual performances, it seeks to encourage assemblies to strengthen budgeting, revenue management, expenditure controls, procurement practices and financial reporting in line with the Public Financial Management framework.
The sharp decline recorded by the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly is expected to intensify calls for reforms to improve financial administration, strengthen accountability mechanisms and restore confidence in the management of public funds within the municipality.
