A dispute over municipal sanitation expenditure in Accra has cast a spotlight on the challenges of Ghana's decentralisation policy, raising concerns about transparency and the accountability of public funds at the local level.

The debate centres on the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly (AEMA), which is facing detailed questions from a local civil society group, the Concerned Nima Citizens Foundation (CNCF), over its spending.

The controversy began when the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) reportedly informed the Parliamentary Committee on Local Government and Rural Development in September 2025 that the Assembly had already expended GH¢600,000 on sanitation within two months.

Following this, the CNCF invoked the Right to Information Act (Act 989) to obtain a detailed breakdown. The Assembly's response, dated 13th October 2025, listed a total sanitation expenditure of GH¢677,105 for 2025. However, the provided document has sparked more questions than answers.

Key points of contention identified by the Foundation in their follow-up letter include:

1. Lack of Verification: The expenditure list was provided without supporting documents such as receipts, invoices, or payment vouchers, making independent verification impossible.

2. High-Cost Items: A payment of GH¢73,451 for the "replacement of compaction truck tyres" to a vendor has been flagged as appearing significantly higher than prevailing market prices. The CNCF is seeking details on the number and type of tyres purchased and the vehicles serviced.

3. Vague Packages and Duplicate Entries: A "Sanitation Improvement Package" paid to a popular waste management company, costing GH¢130,812, lacks any detail on its components. The report also lists two separate payments for a "Monthly Clean-Up Exercise" in September, totalling GH¢66,740, prompting questions about whether this was a duplication error or two distinct activities.

Timing of Expenditure: The Foundation has questioned whether certain listed activities, such as a "Sanitation Day Celebration" and "Kerbs Painting," which reportedly occurred after the MCE's committee appearance, were part of the initial GH¢600,000 referenced or new allocations.

In its formal request for clarification, the CNCF argued that the public interest in transparency regarding sanitation spending is a matter of public health and environmental safety, thus, outweighs any potential commercial confidentiality.

The case exemplifies wider fears that the government's push to decentralise spending power to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to accelerate local development could be undermined by a lack of corresponding accountability, potentially leading to the misappropriation of public funds.

The activism of groups like the Concerned Nima Citizens Foundation highlights the crucial role of civic participation in local governance. Their persistent efforts to secure accountability from the Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly are a test case for whether Ghana's decentralisation framework can truly deliver transparency and answer directly to the citizens it is meant to serve.

The Ayawaso East Municipal Assembly is yet to respond to the Foundation’s follow-up letter.