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In what can best be described as a “two legs bad, four legs good” situation, the Ada West District Assembly is owing rent to a landlord from whom it had already collected property rate.
The private individual whose house the District Coordinating Director currently occupies has fully honoured his tax obligations, according to checks by this portal. Yet the assembly still owes him an undisclosed amount in rent.
The matter, raised at a general assembly meeting, drew surprise and ridicule because the assembly was swift in collecting its property rate, which is only a fraction of the outstanding rent, but has delayed in paying the landlord the money he needs to remain compliant with his tax obligations.
The Presiding Member, Lawrence Katey Nunekpeku, expressed displeasure and ordered that the rent be paid immediately before the year ends, noting that the situation reflects an unfair principle.
Meanwhile, a concern was raised about overspending under internally generated funds. A member of the house, Solomon Okutu, questioned why a whopping 150,000 Cedis was spent on a budget line that had an initial allocation of 30,000 Cedis, representing a staggering 500 percent overspend.
After further probing by Okutu, who has an accounting background, to determine whether the amount was indeed spent, explanations from both the Coordinating Director and the Budget Officer did not satisfy members. This prompted a former presiding member, Dr. Amuyaw, to question why the Budget Officer was attempting to provide unsatisfactory explanations, especially when he is not the spending officer.
Another member also asked why no provision was made for NADMO in the 2026 budget, considering that the agency’s activities cut across ministries, departments and agencies, covering disaster prevention, management, and field-based sanitation sensitization.
Two members, in view of these gaps, suggested that the sitting be adjourned to allow for necessary corrections and additions before the budget is approved.
In another development, the assembly’s DRIP machines, tipper trucks, and a water tanker are currently not functioning. According to the District DRIP Coordinator, the machines have not undergone routine servicing after covering the required mileage.
The DRIP Coordinator revealed that 15,000 Cedis out of the required 29,000 Cedis for servicing should be used immediately to repair the tanker to help address the ongoing water situation in the district, while efforts are made to raise the remainder to service the other machines.
After prolonged discussions, the house approved the budget on the assurance by the Coordinating Director that all necessary corrections would be made and the updated version shared with members.
