Fifteen Civil Society Organizations, including the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), have joined the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD) to petition the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, for increased transparency and accountability in the management, disbursement and utilization of the 2% District Assembly Common Fund allocation to Persons with Disability (PWDs).
The petition follows a recent joint press conference by the MFWA and the GFD which highlighted several media reports on the gross misapplication of funds allocated to persons with disability by district officials in some districts across the country. The media reports pointed to a lack of concern for the plight of PWDs.
The petition, sent to the Local Government Minister, Ernest Debrah on November 11, 2014 and copied the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, makes the following recommendations:
- All MMDAs must be mandated to provide quarterly bank statements on the state of the Disability account to the Disability Fund Management Committee.
- All MMDAs must be strictly required to adhere to all provisions in the guidelines for managing, disbursing, and monitoring the utilization and accountability for the Fund.
- A Joint monitoring task force comprising Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), National Council of Persons with Disability (NCPD) and Local Government Ministry must be adequately resourced to monitor the disbursement and use of the funds nationwide.
- Regular follow-up training for members of the Disability Fund Management Committees on their duties and responsibilities.
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