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By Samuel Asamoah
The Shai Osudoku District Assembly is working to recover from what its leadership describes as years of financial mismanagement, as the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Ignatius Godfred Dordoe, revealed that he inherited debts totaling GHC3.3 million from the previous administration.
Speaking during a familiarization visit by the Greater Accra Regional Minister on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the DCE said the liabilities included arrears owed to contractors, unpaid food and service bills, and outstanding salaries and Social Security contributions for staff. The situation, he added, compelled the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to take the assembly to court, while several official vehicles remained grounded due to lack of maintenance.
“We came to meet a debt of over three million cedis. Workers’ salaries were in arrears, SSNIT contributions were not paid, and our vehicles were out of service. These challenges nearly crippled the operations of the assembly,” Mr. Dordoe lamented.
He, however, noted that his administration had cleared the backlog of unpaid salaries and restored the vehicles, while taking steps to improve revenue generation to address the assembly’s financial difficulties.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Linda Obeniwa Akweley Oclu, who led a delegation from the Regional Coordinating Council to the assembly, commended the district for making progress despite its financial constraints. She emphasized the need for teamwork and cautioned against unnecessary transfers of technocrats, which she said often disrupted service delivery.
“We must put the interest of the people first. I will not tolerate needless transfers of hardworking staff based on unproven allegations. Our focus should be on unity and development,” she stressed.
The minister also outlined ongoing and new infrastructure projects in the district. She cited the construction of the Dorwhenya–Dodowa link road under government’s Big Push program and announced that contracts had been secured for the asphalting of the Ayikuma–Doryumu Junction road, along with other feeder roads.
She further highlighted the reactivation of Regional Sanitation Day, the expansion of street lighting, strict adherence to District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) guidelines, and stronger internal controls to address audit infractions as part of her priorities for the district.
Heads of departments in health, agriculture, and education also used the occasion to present their challenges to the minister, ranging from funding gaps to inadequate logistics. The minister pledged to collaborate with the relevant ministries to address those concerns.
The visit, which took place at the Guggisberg Memorial Hall in Dodowa, formed part of the Regional Minister’s broader engagement tour aimed at strengthening cooperation, deepening accountability, and advancing effective governance across the Greater Accra Region.
