News
Some DDF projects remain uncompleted, substandard—Auditor General Report
Despite improvement in infrastructure delivery in various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) through the implementation of the District Development Funding (DDF), some projects remain uncompleted and substandard, the Auditor General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo has said.
The execution of projects through the DDF in MMDAs, according to the Performance Audit Report on Capital Projects by the Auditor General, had considerably impacted education, health, occupation and the cost of living of individuals in the benefiting communities across the country.
The purpose of the audit was to ascertain whether the assemblies were capable of
planning, procuring contractors, supervising and monitoring the delivery of selected projects in accordance with sound administrative principles, practices and management policies to guarantee value for money.
“Our audit disclosed that there have been improved infrastructure delivery in MMDAs through the implementation of DDF and the impact on the socio-economic development of the communities has been significant,” the report mentioned.
Meanwhile, the report observed that many infrastructural projects commenced by MMDAs had stalled with some completed ones being substandard.
The situation had resulted in the deterioration of some projects within a short period after handing over, hence, denying beneficiaries the expected outcome, the report added.
“Many infrastructure projects undertaken by MMDAs remain uncompleted for a long time while completed ones are of low quality resulting in their deterioration within a short period after handing over, thus denying users the intended benefits,” the report said.
The report which covered a five-year period (2014 to 2019), noticed through the analysis of expenditure of district disbursement on projects showed that significant portion of budget was used to fund developments of educational facilities, Health (CHPS Compounds), KVIPs (sanitation) and Markets (economic).
Some projects included in the report included a six classroom pavilion at Bawjiase SHS, male, female and children’s ward at the Senya Health Center, and a market at Bontrase, all in the Awutu Senya West District.
Others included a teachers’ quarters at Nyariga, police station at Sunbrungu, both in the Bolgatanga Municipality.
The rest were; the Akatsi Main Lorry Park in the Akatsi South District, a two-story community health nursing training hostel at Asafo (Sefwi Wiaswo Municipal Assembly), Yam Market shed at Sang (Mion District).
The report which examined the capacity of assemblies focused on; project identification and planning, budgeting processes, procurement of contractors/Consultants, project implementation (Quality assurance through supervision), project status reporting, accountability (monitoring), and sustainability and impact to beneficiaries.
The DDF was set up in 2008 with the goal of improving the performance of MMDAs in Ghana by providing incentives to assemblies that comply with existing legal and administrative procedures.
BY: FRANCIS NTOW
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
