President orders probe into district assembly funds

President Mills The President John Evans Atta Mills has instructed the local government ministry to conduct a forensic audit of the accounts of all District and Municipal Assemblies in the country. According to the President, the assemblies have been saddled with too many debts due largely to mismanagement and lack of financial discipline. He made these observations at a durbar of chiefs and people of Tain in the Brong Ahafo Region at the end of his four day tour of the Western and Brong Ahafo. Re-echoing the fears of the president, Steven Anti, Joy correspondent at the presidency who was part of the tour, indicated the assemblies could be indebted to the tune of GH¢110 million- GH¢180 million. In a subsequent interview with Joy News, the head of communications at the Castle, Koku Anyidoho said the Tain district created only five years ago is indebted to the tune of GH¢1.6 million. Asked if those debts were as a result of corrupt practices, Mr. Anyidoho said the audit when completed will give full details as to how the debts were incurred. He described the president’s four day tour as “excellent” with the goodwill still intact. Meanwhile residents of Tain have appealed to government to make good its campaign promise of building a Senior High School for the district. They have also requested the government to upgrade roads linking the district to major towns and cities in the country. Tain became popular in the 2008 election after a second run-off was held in the district to find a clear winner for the closely fought election, with the then candidate Mills securing maximum votes to be crowned president. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana