A fresh wave of controversy has hit the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as former Suhum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Margaret Darko-Dankwa, launches a b
A fresh wave of controversy has hit the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as former Suhum Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Margaret Darko-Dankwa, launches a blistering attack on former District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) Administrator, Irene Naa Torshie Addo, accusing her of mismanaging statutory funds, disregarding local development needs, and contributing to the failure of the decentralisation agenda under the Akufo-Addo administration.
Speaking angrily in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, the former Suhum MCE unleashed an explosive set of allegations that have generated widespread debate within political circles.
Under the Akufo-Addo administration, Irene Naa Torshie Addo served as the powerful Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund — a position that controls the allocation of billions of cedis meant to support infrastructure and social development needs of the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Her tenure, though lauded by beneficiaries, has long been criticised by a section of local government heads, who claimed she exercised excessive control over the use of the Common Fund, often overruling district priorities.
Margaret Darko-Dankwa, who served as Suhum MCE between 2017 and 2024, was one of the senior appointees reportedly at odds with Naa Torshie during that period. Her latest comments bring those simmering tensions back to the forefront.
In her latest media outburst, the former MCE did not hold back. She accused Naa Torshie of treating MCEs with disrespect, speaking to them “like children” despite their roles as government executives overseeing local development.
“She acts as if the administration’s money belongs to her. When she speaks to us, she talks to us like we’re her children,” she fired.
According to Darko, the former DACF Administrator controlled the Common Fund as though it were her personal property, imposing her decisions on MMDAs without consultation.
The most serious accusation leveled against Naa Torshie was the alleged misapplication of Common Fund resources.
Margaret Darko claimed that: funds meant for assemblies were diverted to projects not requested by local authorities, priority needs submitted by traditional leaders—such as schools and hospitals—were ignored and some expenditures did not align with district development plans.
She cited an instance where Naa Torshie supplied streetlights when the assembly had already received streetlights from the Energy Ministry:
“There was a time she brought streetlights, even though we had received some already. She is not the one to determine how the Common Fund should be used.”
The former Suhum MCE, argued that instead of releasing funds to the assemblies, Naa Torshie allegedly placed the money into reserve accounts, leaving local authorities financially stranded.
The former MCE further accused the ex-DACF boss of spending funds on projects unrelated to local needs.
“The money is meant for the assembly, not for fertilizer or personal use. Chiefs have stated what they need—schools, hospitals—yet she was in Accra spending the money.”
Her statements suggest systemic disagreements over how Common Fund disbursements were prioritized and executed.
Perhaps the strongest political blow came when Margaret Darko linked the perceived failure of decentralisation under the NPP to Naa Torshie’s leadership style.
She asserted that: the DACF Administrator’s overbearing approach weakened the autonomy of MMDAs, assemblies struggled to deliver on development goals due to delayed or redirected funds and the distrust she created undermined coordination between the central government and local structures.
“If decentralisation didn’t work under the NPP regime, Naa Torshie is to be blamed,” she declared.
In recent months, Irene Naa Torshie has become a central figure within the internal NPP race, aligning herself with Kennedy Agyapong’s 2026 flagbearer campaign after previously supporting Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in 2024.
She is positioning herself as a potential running mate to Kennedy Agyapong if he won.
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