The Minority caucus in Parliament has formally petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to launch a comprehensive investigation into what it calls a gross misappropriation of resources within the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) project in Wa West.
This call for accountability centres around alleged actions by the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Wa West, Vida Dioretey, who is accused of transferring project resources including equipment and a substantial maintenance fund to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate in the district.
The Minority caucus argues that these actions represent a clear misuse of public resources for partisan advantage, sparking public outcry and serious concerns about the integrity of local governance.
At the core of the allegations is the accusation that Vida Dioretey handed over DRIP project machinery and a GH¢400,000 maintenance fund to the NPP’s parliamentary candidate, who, according to the caucus, has no formal connection to the district assembly’s operations or its sanctioned use of these resources.
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, expressed strong condemnation of the alleged actions.
He emphasised the necessity for swift and decisive action from the OSP to restore faith in the system, calling for sanctions against the DCE.
“The NPP PC, what right has she got? Is the NPP PC a member of parliament? Is he the District Chief Executive? We are protesting about this and we have already petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor that that woman should be investigated and immediately punished for what she has done.
“The total amount of money is almost about GH¢400,000 which is going to every district assembly for the management of the DRIP and I don’t know why that woman will hand over the money and the machines to the PC who is contesting elections and who has nothing to do with these machines. When there is a sitting Member of Parliament, who sat in Parliament and approved this in the first place.”
The DRIP project, initiated to address pressing infrastructural needs in district road networks, is intended to enhance road accessibility, maintain crucial transport routes, and support rural development.
Such resources, the Minority caucus contends, should not be diverted to individuals running for political office, especially when these individuals hold no formal administrative or elected role in the local government structure.
