The Local Government and Rural Development Committee of Ghana's Parliament has expressed concerns over the continued theft of undocumented equipment supplied to assemblies under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP). The committee described the losses as a waste of public funds, citing reported thefts involving four assemblies. The absence of proper documentation and insurance has made it difficult to trace stolen machines and recover the state’s investment.
The committee's Chairperson, Queenstar Pokua Sawyerr, raised the concern after several assemblies reported the theft of undocumented and uninsured DRIP machines during a two-week public hearing. She stated that there was no documentation for the DRIP machines in Ghana, making it challenging for assemblies to recover stolen equipment. Sawyerr emphasized that this is a huge public investment being wasted at the assemblies.
The Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly in the Northern Region reported the theft of four concrete mixers valued at over GH¢800,000. The Municipal Coordinating Director, Mahmoud M. Osman, told the committee that the machines were taken from the Urban Roads Department's yard during the 2024 general election violence. The assembly reported the incident to the police but had yet to receive a report on the equipment's whereabouts.
The machines were difficult to trace because they were supplied to the assembly by the District Assembly Common Fund without necessary documentation. Osman explained that the machines were given to the assembly without accompanying documents. This lack of documentation has compromised the ability of assemblies to recover stolen equipment.
The committee is concerned that the equipment might have been distributed to assemblies without necessary documentation due to the urgency surrounding its deployment during the election campaign. Sawyerr suggested that politics might have played a role in the hurried deployment of the machines without proper documentation.
The Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, urged the committee to ensure that all DRIP equipment supplied to assemblies is well-insured. He called for a comprehensive audit to establish the status of the equipment and determine the extent of insurance coverage, suggesting that the Common Fund, which supplied the machines, should be involved.
The Director-General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Conrad Dumbah, emphasized the major risk associated with DRIP equipment is the absence of proper documentation. He urged assemblies to liaise with the DACF and equipment suppliers to retrieve original documentation, including vehicle identification numbers (VINs), to address the documentation gaps centrally. The committee will compile a list of assemblies that have reported missing DRIP equipment and consider measures to address the situation.
Key points
- The Local Government Committee is concerned about the theft of undocumented DRIP equipment.
- The absence of proper documentation and insurance has made it difficult to trace stolen machines.
- The committee will compile a list of assemblies that have reported missing DRIP equipment.
