By Hebrews Pouyeli Kumako
The Municipal Chief Executive for Ketu South Municipality, Hon. Nicholas Worclachie, has called for greater transparency, public disclosure, and accountability in the implementation of petroleum-funded projects, insisting that every project financed through Ghana’s oil revenues must deliver measurable benefits to citizens.
Speaking during engagements with the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), the MCE emphasized that residents have a right to know how petroleum revenues are being invested within their communities and whether those investments are delivering value for money. According to him, transparency is essential in strengthening public confidence and ensuring that infrastructure projects funded through the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) achieve their intended development objectives.
PIAC Highlights Key ABFA Projects in Ketu South
As part of its monitoring mandate, PIAC highlighted several petroleum-funded projects undertaken within the municipality through the ABFA mechanism. Among the selected projects inspected and documented were:
- Construction of Nurses’ Quarters at Kologa-Aflao – GH¢138,018.85
- Construction of CHPS Compound at Kologa-Aflao – GH¢132,908.80
- Construction of Police Post at the Aflao Border – GH¢93,911.30
- Upgrading of Selected Roads in Ketu South Municipality – GH¢3,123,681.57
The combined value of these highlighted projects exceeds GH¢3.48 million, representing significant investment from Ghana’s petroleum revenues into healthcare, security, and road infrastructure within the municipality.
Hon. Worclachie stressed that public disclosure of project details should become standard practice to enable the assembly and the communities to monitor implementation and demand accountability where necessary. He stated that citizens should have access to information on:
- Project costs
- Contractors
- Scope of work
- Funding sources
- Completion timelines
- Physical progress
According to the MCE, informed communities are better positioned to protect public investments and ensure that projects meet acceptable standards. The projects highlighted by PIAC demonstrate efforts to channel petroleum revenues into key sectors affecting the lives of residents. The Nurses’ Quarters and CHPS Compound at Kologa-Aflao are expected to strengthen healthcare delivery by improving accommodation for health workers and expanding access to primary healthcare services.
Similarly, the Police Post at the Aflao Border is intended to enhance security within one of Ghana’s busiest international border corridors, while the road upgrading project is aimed at improving transportation and economic activity across the municipality.
The MCE further advocated for regular value-for-money assessments to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications and that taxpayers receive the full benefit of public expenditure. He noted that accountability should not end with the release of funds but should continue through project execution, monitoring, and evaluation.
Hon. Worclachie commended PIAC and their chairman Mr. Richard Kojo Ellimah , for the continued efforts in safeguarding petroleum revenues and ensuring that oil-funded projects contribute meaningfully to national and local development. He encouraged stronger collaboration between oversight institutions, local authorities, traditional leaders, and citizens to ensure effective monitoring of development projects.
Source News Volta
