Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Account for GH¢3 million missing at KMA!!

The Ghanaian Times commends the members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for raising serious concerns over some GH¢3 million missing at the assembly and urging a thorough investigation into the matter for those culpable to be held accountable.

At the 9th General Meeting of the KMA on Wednesday, the assembly members learned that a GH¢5 million loan the Assembly proposed to be secured in the 2021/22 financial year for the Krofrom market redevelopment was increased to GH¢8 million.

However, only GH¢4.8 million out of the amount had been spent on the market project, with no record of the disbursement of the GH¢3 million.

We know cases of this nature are commonplace in district assemblies across the country but are being covered.

Meanwhile, some assembly members, particularly those on the Finance and Administration (F&A) Committee, have neglected their core duty of demanding financial accountability on behalf of their constituents.

The district assemblies were established as an attempt to decentralise the government and to assist in development at the local level.

This means there is the devolu­tion of power to the district level, popularly termed as decentralisa­tion, which puts the development of the districts in the hands of local administrators, including assembly members.

This makes it imperative for assembly members to take a keen interest in every development project in their electoral areas.

But, of course, the Ghanaian Times knows that it sometimes becomes difficult for some Assembly members to get information on projects in their jurisdictions.

This totally defeats the spirit behind decentralisation.

This paper therefore urges assembly members to seek information about every local project, at least from their Presiding Member (PM), who can contact the District Chief Executive if he does not have the required information.

In the face of what is happening at the KMA, such a move is critical because it can lead to stopping some corrupt practices bedeviling state projects or exposing underhand dealings already executed.

If the information this paper has gathered is not an exaggeration or falsehood, then the increase in the proposed loan amount of GH¢5 million to GH¢8 million is intriguing and must be explained.

That explanation must be given by those who contracted the loan from the head office of Fidelity Bank in Accra, all because their positions put that responsibility on their shoulders.

Why has Fidelity Bank been declining to clarify the matter regarding the increase in the loan amount from GH¢5 million to GH¢8 million despite repeated attempts to get that information?

Well, knowing the sensitive nature of certain issues in banking, the Ghanaian Times would not blame the bank.

However, the paper thinks the bank could have told those seeking the information that, per banking rules, they did not qualify for such information, so they cannot today cite the bank’s refusal to provide the information in a way that is open to various interpretations.

Will Fidelity Bank take it lightly if some people say it is supporting underhand dealings?

Whatever the case is, the Ghanaian Times commends members of the KMA for helping to grow the demand for accountability from state duty bearers.

This is exemplary and must be emulated by all district assembly members in the country, as well as other citizens.

Every Ghanaian has the responsibility to fight corruption.