The Centre has therefore called on local authorities to strengthen the public relations and complaints units in MMDAs and the office of the Presiding Member (PM) who occupies the critical position of Chairperson of the assembly’s public relations and complaints committee.
This they believe would promote state-society relations and strengthen the feedback mechanisms in the assemblies which play a pivotal role in the decentralization process.
The CDD enumerated this during a day’s decentralization workshop under the theme: Strengthening the role of civil society in decentralization and local governance in Tamale.
Mr. Paul Osei Kufuor Programs Manager of CDD-Ghana, Tamale noted that although decentralization has been a key development goal since the 80s, the process has been problematic.
According to him, its progress over the years has also been burdened with an enduring discrepancy between what governments decentralize by law and in reality.
Depending on the context, this divergence Mr. Kufuor indicated can be explained by the limited resources, the need for attaining economies scale of capacity, constraints, lack of political will and the influence of bureaucratic politics.
He said it was in view of addressing these gaping challenges that a new decentralization policy and action plans had been developed and launched in 2010 under the theme” accelerating decentralization and local governance for national development”.
The new policy framework provides conceptual clarity and relevant reforms on decentralization and local governance within the national development strategy he noted.
In a speech read on his behalf the Mayor of Tamale Alhaji Haruna Friday observed that the concept of decentralization could not be fully described as new, given that it is well over 20 years now since the country began the current process to send governance system down to the local level.
Local governance structures stretching from the central government (represented by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development MLGRD) down to the Regional Coordinating Council, the Metropolitan/Municipal /District Assemblies (MMDAs) with Unit Committees being the basic units and therefore the “building blocks” of the system was a clear manifestation in this regard. He observed
The structures he explained have been designed to interconnect each other as they have responsibilities whose links can be traced from the ordinary person out there to the highest decision making body in the country.
The MCE however alluded to the fact that the entire system could still be described as new in view of the fact that most of structures are not fully operational for various reasons.
He identified the incomplete operationalisation to the lack of motivation for actors like the Assembly members, the Unit Committee members and staff of the Zonal/Town/Area Councils whose involvement could make the system work.
Madam Sandra Jensen a representative of GIZ partners of CDD underscored the importance of the capacity building workshop reiterating the commitment of the organization to partner in such events in the future.
She briefed participants on the activities of GIZ in collaboration with its partners citing three workshops in Tamale, Wa and Bolgatanga and other related activities an opportunity for the civil society and other stakeholders to learn more about the decentralization policies and activities in Ghana.
By Stephen Zoure
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