Naa Torshie Throws Weight Behind New DACF Boss

The immediate past Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Irene Naa Torshie Addo, has thrown her support behind the newly appointed Administrator, Michael Harry Yamson, expressing confidence in his ability to succeed.

Speaking to the press in Parliament after attending Mr. Yamson’s vetting,  Naa Torshie stated that she is optimistic he will receive the necessary support to effectively carry out his responsibilities.

Notably, she is the first former DACF Administrator, since the adoption of the 1992 Constitution, to attend the vetting of a new Administrator.

Her gesture reflects a level of maturity rarely seen, as previous officeholders have typically not extended such public support, particularly during a change in government.

Naa Torshie served as the DACF Administrator under former President Akufo-Addo, earning widespread recognition for spearheading numerous infrastructure projects nationwide.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commended her efforts, particularly for her role in the construction of court buildings and residential quarters for judges across the country.

She also played a key role in the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), an initiative aimed at enhancing road networks to foster local economic growth and improve the quality of life for citizens.

The Administrator-designate, Mr. Yamson, gave the assurance that he will support auditing of the funds sourced from the DACF for the acquisition of equipment under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) last year.
The DRIP equipment refers to heavy machinery and tools used for road construction and maintenance works including water tankers, backholes, motor graders, rollers and tipper trucks.

He explained that although the DACF budget disbursements for the year 2024 would be audited as the law required, he would also support auditing of the monies taken from the Fund to purchase the equipment when the need arose.

His response emanated from a question posed by Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the Member of Parliament for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, who inquired whether the nominee upon his approval, would audit funds taken from the DACF for acquisition of the DRIP equipment by the previous New Patriotic Party government in 2024.
This was because of the failure of the previous government to set up Management Committees in some districts to manage the equipment.

The nominee said he would design a formula in consultation with the ministers of Finance and Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to ensure 80 per cent of the DACF funds were disbursed to the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) for development purposes.

The move was in response to President Mahama government’s policy to ensure that 80 per cent of the DACF funds were released to the Assemblies.
“My duty is to be non-partisan and respond to the inequities in development across the country,” MrYamson assured.

He also emphasised the need for the various Assemblies to tap into the e-commerce platforms to enhance their internally generated funds (IGFs) to minimise the reliance on the central government’s support.

The nominee expressed his commitment to ensuring timeous disbursements of the funds to the Assemblies and collaborate with the Regional Coordinating Councils and other sector ministries to ensure accountability and transparency in the utilisation of the funds.

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