Ghanaian citizen petitions Supreme Court over District Assemblies Common Fund allocations to MPs
via GhanaWeb3 min read
Dr. Yaw Twerefour, a Ghanaian citizen, has petitioned the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the practice of allocating portions of the District Assemblies Common Fund DACF to Members of Parliament MPs. The suit, filed under Articles 21 and 130 of the 1992 Constitution, seeks an interpretation of Article 252, which established the DACF. Dr. Twerefour argues that the fund is constitutionally intended for District Assemblies, and any allocation to MPs falls outside the constitutional framework for decentralized development. He contends that this practice, which has existed since the late 1990s under various labels, lacks constitutional or statutory foundation and was introduced through administrative decisions. A key concern is the alleged payment of DACF monies into MPs' personal bank accounts, which Dr. Twerefour claims undermines accountability and transparency, making funds difficult to track. He also suggests this practice weakens the Auditor-General's oversight and may violate Article 187 of the Constitution and the Public Financial Management Act, 2016. The plaintiff maintains that while MPs are ex-officio members of District Assemblies, this status does not grant them authority to administer or receive DACF monies. He seeks a declaration that the DACF is exclusively for District Assemblies, that allocations to MPs are unconstitutional, and orders to halt future payments to MPs and ensure compliance with the fund's governing framework. The Attorney-General, the Ad
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