DCE refutes media report

Mr John Kweku Addai, Ex-District Chief Executive (DCE) for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa in the Central Region, on Thursday refuted media reports that only five million cedis out 368 million cedis disbursed under the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) of the assembly had been recovered.

The assembly, he said, received 339,200,000 cedis, disbursed 371,241,000 cedis out of it and recouped 49,893,000 cedis with an interest of 14,261,000 cedis, bringing the total to 63,726,000 cedis.

Mr Addai said the 63,726,000 cedis recouped represented 53 per cent of the PAF due for recovery and that 44,893,500 cedis of this amount was given out again, leaving a balance of about 19 million cedis in the assembly's bank accounts.

A national daily reported that the assembly had recovered only five million cedis out of the 368 million cedis of the PAF it disbursed and that this came to light when the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, paid a surprise visit to district assemblies in the Central Region over the weekend.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr Addai said he was surprised at the publication because as at the time he handed over to the District Co-ordinating Director, 120 million cedis of the fund was due for recovery, and produced an endorsed copy of his handing over notes.

He noted that although the recovery rate was low, the facility was for a two-year period and not meant to be static but to be recycled for others to benefit from it.

Mr Addai disagreed with Mr Baah-Wiredu that the money was given to only supporters of the NDC, adding: "the idea that only NDC members were considered for the loan was false. I can cite a lot of NPP supporters who benefited from the fund".

The Ex-DCE explained that a committee headed by the Presiding Member of the assembly approved the loans for the beneficiaries who were then directed to the assembly's bankers, Brakwa Breman Rural Bank, that oversees the disbursement.

Mr Addai said there was no way beneficiaries of the loan could default in payment because the bank disbursed the money on the condition that a beneficiary provided three guarantors, one of whom receives his or her salary from the bank.

"In any case, NPP supporters were permanent members of the Poverty Alleviation Fund Committee and there was no way the fund could have been given out to party supporters alone. I assure you that Asikuma had the best arrangement for disbursing the loan.

"This Poverty Alleviation fund is really making the work of DCEs very difficult and it is hoped that a better method could be found to disburse the fund."

Mr Addai stated: "We are not enemies of progress. It is better we are consulted to let them know the problems on the ground and I feel most of us are prepared to assist the present government".

He stressed that any DCE found to have "tainted" his or her hands as the Minister puts it should be made to face the law but stressed that they must also be given the chance to defend themselves.