Deputy Minister Urges Adenta Assembly to Complete Legacy Projects, Ensure Efficient Use of Public Funds

Edited by: Solomon Kwabena Nana-Ansah – Paaps – 

The Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and Member of Parliament for La Dade-Kotopon, Hon. Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, has called on the Adenta Municipal Assembly to prioritise the completion of legacy projects and ensure the prudent utilisation of public funds.

She made the appeal during a District Accountability Series visit to the Assembly, where she led a delegation from the Ministry to assess the Assembly’s performance and the utilisation of statutory funds, including the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) and Internally Generated Funds (IGF).

Hon. Sowah disclosed that an earlier assessment revealed the Assembly had utilised only six per cent of its DACF allocation. However, she commended the Assembly for improving its utilisation rate to over 50 per cent between March and June, citing progress in the education, health, sanitation and infrastructure sectors.

Despite the improvement, the Deputy Minister expressed concern over the delays in completing long-standing projects, noting that prolonged implementation increases project costs and slows development. She urged the Assembly to expedite work on all outstanding legacy projects to maximise value for money.

Hon. Sowah also praised the Assembly’s plastic waste recycling initiative and encouraged authorities to expand the programme, particularly in flood-prone and densely populated communities, to enhance environmental sanitation and reduce flooding.

On social protection, she called for improved management of funds allocated to persons with disabilities by establishing a comprehensive beneficiary register to promote transparency, accountability and targeted support.

She further urged Assembly Members to strengthen their oversight of public expenditure and improve communication with residents on development projects being implemented in the municipality.

The Deputy Minister announced that the Ministry would conduct a field verification exercise to assess and confirm the implementation of projects and interventions reported by the Assembly.