The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has urged the government to involve Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) more directly in the planning and implementation of petroleum-funded projects.
The Committee said such collaboration was critical to improving supervision, ensuring value for money and promoting balanced national development.
A member of PIAC, Mr Christopher Opoku Nyarko, made the call when the Committee inspected a number of projects in the Adansi area of the Ashanti Region.
He explained that PIAC’s mandate was to ensure that revenues from petroleum resources were used efficiently and that the public was kept informed on how such funds were utilised.
Mr Nyarko said the Committee undertook regular monitoring visits to communities benefiting from projects funded under the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), which is disbursed through the Ministry of Finance, to verify their implementation.
During the inspection, he said the Committee observed mixed results in terms of the quality and usefulness of some of the projects.
In the Adansi South District, the team inspected an upgraded road linking Kyiaboso to Akrokeri.
However, Mr Nyarko noted that pothole patching on the Adansi Asokwa–Obuasi road did not represent a prudent use of petroleum revenue.
In the Adansi Asokwa District, the Committee assessed a police station, a school building and a health centre with a staff bungalow, which was completed in 2020 and became operational in 2021.
He said although the police station was well constructed, it still depended on the district office for water supply.
Mr Nyarko further indicated that the school lacked basic facilities, including furniture, washrooms and electricity, which were essential for effective teaching and learning.
He also expressed concern about the design of the staff bungalow at the health centre, describing the rooms as too small and not reflective of judicious use of public funds.
Mr Nyarko attributed the challenges to the centralised approach to project planning, where decisions were taken in Accra without adequate consultation with local authorities.
He said this often resulted in assemblies being excluded from supervision and monitoring of projects within their jurisdictions.
As a result, he noted, many petroleum-funded projects were wrongly perceived as initiatives by Members of Parliament, leading to their omission from official assembly records.
In some instances, he said, local authorities were not even aware that projects in their areas were funded with petroleum revenues.
Mr Nyarko stressed that although the Constitution required that all citizens benefit from the country’s natural resources, weak oversight continued to undermine that objective.
He said PIAC was advocating closer collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Local Government to address the situation.
Mr Nyarko added that the Committee would submit its findings to Parliament for the necessary action to ensure accountability and proper use of petroleum revenues.
The Adansi Asokwa District Health Director, Mr David Kunta, who received the Committee, expressed appreciation for the health facility provided through petroleum funds.
However, he said the facility was under pressure due to rapid population growth.
Mr Kunta highlighted the need for an on-site laboratory to prevent pregnant women from travelling long distances for essential tests.
He also appealed for the construction of a perimeter fence to protect the facility from encroachment and called for additional support to improve healthcare delivery in the area.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, ADANSI ASOKWA
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
