The Minority in Parliament has signalled its readiness to invoke constitutional enforcement measures should what it describes as continued non-compliance with obligations under the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) persist.
Addressing concerns over the management and disbursement of the fund, Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, pointed to Article 2(1) of the 1992 Constitution, which empowers any citizen or institution to seek redress at the Supreme Court of Ghana when there is suspicion of constitutional violations.
“Constitutions do not enforce themselves. When administrative practice diverges from constitutional command, enforcement mechanisms must be considered,” he stated.
Despite raising the possibility of legal action, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh emphasised that litigation would not be the Minority’s first choice. He instead urged Parliament to take proactive steps by codifying compliance directives issued by the Supreme Court into fiscal legislation, a move he believes would help prevent recurring breaches.
He further called for enhanced parliamentary oversight of the DACF, proposing mandatory quarterly reports from the Minister for Finance. According to him, such reports should detail total revenue collected, the computation of DACF allocations, actual transfers made, and any outstanding arrears.
“Oversight must have consequences,” he cautioned, warning that persistent failure to comply with constitutional provisions could prompt Parliament to impose sanctions.
