Advocacy For Local Governance Reform

I


will emphatically reiterate the words of the former US President, Abraham Lincoln who defined democracy as the “government of the people, for the people and by the people”. This quote may clearly ascertain cyclical form of power or mutual transfer of power from a group of people to another group. Also per the Greek etymology, democracy refers to a system of government in which state power is vested in the people or the general population of a state.

Currently, Ghana has witnessed the highest forms of democratic decay or backsliding which resulted in the reverse of the tenets of sound democracy or governance and put citizens on economic and financial slavery.

However, this is not my major focus rather some loopholes that I have identified in our well-planned decentralization roadmap documents, thus Local Governance Act, 2016 Act 936. The Act contained a well-structured decentralized system but may not ensure utmost accountability and transparency, it seems this might need strong authoritative independent persons or group of people to enforce it.

The main Assembly has decentralized structures such as Sub-Metropolitan, District Councils, Urban Councils, Town or Area Councils, and Unit Committees in respect of the areas of authority of the sub-district structures within the area of authority of the District Assembly demarcated or reviewed in the same legislative instrument that established the District Assembly. In addition, Legislative Instrument to specify (a) the jurisdiction, membership, functions, powers and responsibilities of the Sub-Metropolitan, District Council, Urban Council, Town or Area Council or Unit Committee. All these well-thought through procedures were put in place to ensure fair and well-balanced development in our communities as well as entire country.

Furthermore, Our Local Governance Act, 2016 Act 936 gave some rooms for Assemblymen/women, government appointees and external auditors to assist bureaucrats to render accountability of their works to the catchment areas in which Assembly is instituted. For example, A District Assembly may at any time summon any public officer in the district to attend any of its meetings to provide information or assistance as the District Assembly may require. (2) Matters for decision by the District Assembly shall be determined by the votes of the majority of members present and voting. develop and execute approved plans of the units, areas and towns and sub-metropolitan districts, within the area of authority of the District Assembly.

The Executive Committee of a District Assembly shall exercise the executive and coordinating functions of the District Assembly. (2) An Executive Committee shall (a) co-ordinate the plans and programmes of the sub-committees and submit these as comprehensive plans of action to the District Assembly; (b) implement resolutions of the District Assembly; (c) report to members of the District Assembly the decisions of the Executive Committee to oversee the administration of the district in collaboration with the office of the District Chief Executive; (e) make recommendations on stated grounds to the appropriate Ministry, Department or Agency, for the appointment and replacement of officers for departments outside the control of the District Assembly where it is considered expedient to do so; (f) develop and execute approved plans of the units, areas and towns and sub-metropolitan districts, within the area of authority of the District Assembly; (g) recommend to the District Assembly.

Although, Assemblymen/women enjoy these rights within the Assembly, their power to work decisively and independently in their communities are completely curtailed within the authority of the Assembly.

Suggestions

In an era where corruption has become pandemic in public and private sectors, Assemblymen/women who represent communities cannot be completely subjected to Assembly to demand accountability or get any benefits through authority of the Assembly without being compromised under the influence of the public servants or government appointees against the will of the people of their communities. These are some of the indications that are hindering the development of our country. Assembly is the seat of our domestic policy, which involves the decentralized works of inter-ministerial system of our country, just as Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets as the seat of our foreign policy goals to engage outside worlds and attract any benefits to the country. Either Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development or Local Government Service helps to connect us to our economic and development roots and must not be taken lightly, if this country will move forward.

Assemblymen/women in consultations with their opinion leaders in their communities must be engaged at every level of departmental budget preparation and execution of programs and projects, most especially when the project will be carried out in their communities. But not after, the budget has been prepared as composite or consolidated ones before they will make recommendations either at sub-committee or executive level or general meetings.

Assemblymen/women in consultations with their opinion leaders in their communities must be given the opportunity to appraise the works of the Assembly either through digital survey platforms or writing of annual reports and send copies to Local Government Service or Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for appropriate sanctioning.

Assemblymen/women’s emoluments should not be determined by Assembly in which they work but through assessment of the productive or unproductive reports submitted by Assembly to Local Government Service or Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development complementing the Assemblymen/women’ reports.

Assemblymen/women are the most direct contact persons between their communities as well as the District or Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly and the country. They must play dual roles while contributing to the proceedings of the Assembly, they must also carry the genuine grassroots updates of their communities to the national level without any barriers to serve as confirmation of satisfactory or unsatisfactory works of the Assembly.

With these suggestions, Ghana will see remarkable transformational development where accountability, transparency, appropriate and efficient use of state resources, well-balanced community’s development, peace and stability etc. will become the hallmarks of the country. In fact, independence of assemblymen/women should be the replacement of appointment of MMDCEs because they are the true reflections of their communities.

 

Long live Ghana!

Written by Prince Hasevi (International Relation Analyst and also with experience in local governance, local economic development, agriculture and food system etc.)

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