Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has alleged that the NDC administration exhibits constitutional inconsistencies and fiscal mismanagement following the release of the 2025 DACF Guidelines.
At a detailed press briefing, he argued that the guidelines conflict directly with the formula approved by Parliament under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution.
He explained that the parliamentary formula was structured using empirical indicators such as equality components, needs-based factors, and service pressure data to ensure equitable distribution among 261 MMDAs.
However, he said the ministerial guidelines introduce fixed national percentages for specific projects that do not appear in the approved formula.
“This is not interpretation; this is substitution,” he asserted, describing the move as constitutionally questionable.
The Minority Chief Whip also highlighted what he termed a “disturbing disparity” between DACF disbursements and transfers to other statutory funds.
He noted that while GETFund and the National Health Insurance Fund have seen substantial releases, DACF allocations remain plagued by arrears and delays. “The Constitution does not rank DACF as secondary. It is entrenched, protected, and mandatory,” he emphasised.
He further cited the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling in Benjamin Komla Kpodo & Richard Quashigah v. Attorney-General, which held that DACF allocations cannot be capped below five per cent of total national revenue. Any deviation from that threshold, he said, constitutes non-compliance.
“We cannot preach decentralisation and practise fiscal centralisation,” Annoh-Dompreh stated.
He concluded by calling for immediate corrective measures, including a binding automatic computation mechanism to guarantee compliance with the constitutional five per cent requirement.
He insisted that the Minority would maintain rigorous oversight. “When executive action drifts beyond constitutional boundaries, it is our duty to expose it. Accountability is not optional; it is the lifeblood of our democracy,” he declared.
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