The Minister for Local Government and Chieftaincy, Ahmed Ibrahim, has criticised the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration for what he describes as a sustained failure to prioritise decentralisation, citing irregular disbursement and alleged mismanagement of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series held at the Jubilee House, the minister said the decentralisation system his office inherited in 2025 was “largely dysfunctional,” leaving Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) without the financial capacity to execute their statutory mandates.

According to him, less than 50 percent of the Common Fund was consistently transferred directly to the assemblies over several years, significantly weakening local governance structures. He further noted that guidelines governing the utilisation of the fund were frequently delayed or, in some cases, not issued at all—an alleged violation of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).

“This situation created uncertainty and limited the ability of assemblies to plan and implement development projects effectively,” he stated.

The Minister also alleged that portions of the constitutionally mandated five percent allocation to the DACF were capped and redirected under the previous administration, a move he said undermined the principle of fiscal decentralisation and deprived local authorities of critical resources.

Government Announces Fresh Funding for Northern Development

In a related development, Mr Ibrahim disclosed that the government has begun disbursing hundreds of millions of cedis to districts in northern Ghana as part of targeted development interventions.

The initiative, he explained, is aimed at accelerating socio-economic development and improving living conditions in underserved communities across the northern regions of the country.

“These funds are being channelled into critical projects such as market infrastructure and other community-based initiatives that will stimulate local economies and enhance service delivery,” he said.

The minister emphasised that the renewed focus on equitable resource distribution forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen decentralisation, restore efficiency within local government systems, and ensure that development reaches all parts of the country.