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The Minority in Parliament has lambasted President Akufo Addo for his directive to the Administrator of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund to proceed on leave. Two weeks ago, Kojo Fynn, who is the Administrator, was asked to take an indefinite leave.

He will be replaced by Tema West Member of Parliament, Naa Torshie Addo, although he still has some 24 months to the expiration of his tenure. The office of the Administrator is categorized under Article 70 of the Constitution and enjoys a secured tenure.

In a Citi News interview, Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, described the move as a depletion of the public purse. He was optimistic the directive might create some challenges, given that the current Director’s indefinite leave expires after 24 months.

“It is shocking to hear this weekend that the Director of the District Common Fund has been asked to proceed on leave. It is very unfortunate and I am saddened as a Ghanaian knowing that we are now drawing the Administrator of Common Fund into partisanship. If you look at the 1992 constitution, Article 70, it is established just like the Auditor General and some of the Chairpersons of the independent constitutional body.

“Even when this gentleman has 24 months to go, he is being asked to proceed on indefinite leave. What it will mean is that after the next 24 months, we are going to have two Administrators that we are paying and the President has assured that we are going to protect the public purse and I don’t think by asking one to go on indefinite leave and putting another and paying all of them, that is protecting the public purse.”

Some Chief Executive Officers of key state institutions have been replaced since the NPP administration took over. The President had to, under bizarre conditions, terminate the appointment of Metropolitan and Municipal Chief Executives who had refused to proceed on leave since the NPP took over the helm of affairs.

The move, according to government, was to ensure uniformity and the national and sub-national levels.