Naa Torshie vindicated…as fresh documents show Parliament & donor actions back her position
By: tntnewspapergh.com
Newly discovered correspondence between the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) has brought clarity to the ongoing debate regarding the transfer of funds under the District Assemblies Common Fund Responsiveness Factor Grant for DPAT VI.
The content of the DACF Administrator’s response shows clearly that her position has been supported by facts, parliamentary approvals, and the sequence of events that shaped the DPAT VI programme. The letter demonstrates that she acted within the limits of parliamentary authority and in alignment with donor expectations, and was not responsible for any delays.
Naa Torshie
A central point in the Administrator’s explanation is that Parliament had already approved a merger of DPAT VI and DPAT VII in the 2023 formula.
This merger was not an informal administrative suggestion but a formal decision adopted by Parliament as the lawful basis for the Fund’s operations. Since DACF operations must follow the parliamentary formula, the Administrator could not disburse separate funds for DPAT VI after Parliament had collapsed it into DPAT VII. She also reminded the Ministry of Finance that once a formula is passed by Parliament, it can only be amended by Parliament. No ministry, agency, or administrator can unilaterally change it, and any attempt to do so would violate the law.
The Administrator’s account of what transpired during the implementation of DPAT VI further strengthens her position. According to her letter, DPAT VI could not be rolled out because KfW, the German donor, withdrew from the programme at the last minute.
This withdrawal left SECO as the only remaining donor. SECO contributed the equivalent of about 37 million cedis, while DACF was expected to contribute more than 147 million cedis, which represented over 75 percent of the total cost.
This arrangement directly contradicted the understanding between DACF and Parliament, which required that DACF’s contribution not exceed 50 percent. Parliament rejected the expectation that DACF should shoulder such a disproportionate share of the cost and consequently shut down the DPAT VI programme.
The programme therefore collapsed for reasons outside the control of the DACF Administrator.
The letter also provides important historical context that further vindicates her. At the inception of the RFG programme, there were initially five donors who made significant contributions. Over time, some donors withdrew because of the misapplication of funds by the Ministry of Finance.
This donor withdrawal grounded the programme for years and created a difficult environment for its revival. The Administrator and the then Minister for Local Government revived the programme in 2017.
Under her leadership, DPAT III, DPAT IV, and DPAT V were implemented successfully. Her track record therefore reflects commitment, recovery of donor confidence, and steady work to stabilise the system, not delay or obstruction.
The Administrator’s letter also explains that the donors themselves are currently engaged in discussions with the DACF to merge DPAT VI and DPAT VII and to ensure that future disbursements proceed smoothly.
Her office is actively working with development partners to secure funding and provide clarity on the path forward. She even extended an invitation to the Minister of Finance to join one of these meetings, showing her openness to collaboration and transparency.
Taken together, the facts presented by the DACF Administrator reveal that she acted in accordance with the law, respected donor arrangements, and protected the integrity of the decentralisation support programmes.
The delays were caused by donor withdrawal, parliamentary directives, and the legal boundaries of the funding formula. Her letter has therefore vindicated her completely and dispelled the notion that she simply refused to release funds.
The evidence instead shows that she has been consistent, informed, and correct in her position throughout this matter.
