PAC halts hearing, discharges 30 MMDAs over DACF administrator’s absence

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has abruptly ended a hearing involving 30 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) after the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Michael Harry Yamson, failed to appear before the committee.

The committee, chaired by Abena Osei Asare, was scheduled to examine the Auditor-General's report on the implementation of projects under the District Assemblies Common Fund–Responsiveness Factor Grant (RFG).

However, the absence of the DACF Administrator prompted the chairperson to discharge representatives of the 30 assemblies without taking evidence on the projects under review.

Mrs Osei Asare expressed displeasure with Mr Yamson's absence, noting that the committee had already postponed an earlier sitting to give him, or an appropriate director, the opportunity to attend and respond to issues beyond the mandate of the RFG coordinator.

She said the committee would not proceed with the hearing in the absence of the official, stressing that it had the power to compel individuals to appear before it.

“Mr. Administrator, wherever you are, we told you the last time to come and you have refused to attend,” she said.

The chairperson added that the committee would formally write to the Chief of Staff over Mr Yamson's failure to attend the sitting.

A Deputy Minister for Local Government, Rita Odoley Sowah, who was present at the hearing, appealed to the committee to continue with the proceedings.

She pointed out that chief executives and heads of departments from the various assemblies had honoured the invitation and were available to provide information on the projects.

The appeal, however, was rejected by the committee chair, who maintained that the presence of the assembly representatives could not substitute for the DACF Administrator.

According to her, the outstanding questions related to the administration of the DACF and therefore required responses from the appropriate official.

Mrs Osei Asare further directed that any costs incurred by the assemblies as a result of the aborted sitting should be borne by the DACF Administrator.

The 30 MMDAs were subsequently discharged, bringing the hearing to an abrupt end without the committee examining the planned projects under the Responsiveness Factor Grant.

-citinewsroom