The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament has given a one-week ultimatum to the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Mion, in the Northern Region, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulai Hashim and his line officers to refund GH¢34,000.00 meant for disabled persons that has been diverted by the Assembly.
The officers instead of spending the GH¢34,000.00 on the disabled persons diverted it into other areas.
The Chairman of PAC, Mr James Klutsey Avedzi, who was infuriated about the action of the assembly, ordered the refund of the money within one week beginning yesterday.
At the PAC meeting yesterday in Tamale, the committee members warned the assemblies never to tamper with the Disability Fund under the District Assemblies Common Funds (DACF).
“I wish to state and clearly, no assembly has the right to use the disability funds for other things rather than its intended purpose,” Mr Avedzi warned.
The Committee also ordered the Mion District Co-ordinating Director (DCD) and District Finance Officer (DFO) to refund GH¢84,000 for spending such money without any supporting documents.
The committee was not happy about the high number of infractions that the Mion District Assembly had recorded during the period under review.
The Chairman of PAC further directed that the DCE, DCD and DFO be surcharged for all unretired money.
The DCE and his officers were asked to go and reconcile their records with the auditor as a result of the conflicting response given by the DCE and his officers.
Mr Avedzi who was irritated by the kind of answers given by the DCE and his officers warned them to stop manufacturing stories to cover up.
.He admonished the assembly officials to make the public financial regulation their bible or Quran
The Chairman of PAC urged the auditors not to accept documents that could not be produced during audit periods.
Mr Avedzi wondered why supporting documents that could not be produced during auditing could easily be traced or located as soon as the auditors leave their premises.
This practice, he warned would not be countenanced any longer and that all receipts and documents must be kept and produced at all times.
The Zabzugu DCD and DFO were also surcharged to refund unsupported payment by them.
Similarly the Sangnarigu MCE and her officers were reprimanded for not working hard to retrieve the Assembly’s tractor in the hands of some farmers.
FROM YAKUBU ABDUL-MAJEED, TAMALE
