UPPER EAST ATTENDS DECENTRALISATION FORUM
UPPER EAST ATTENDS DECENTRALISATION FORUM
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD – BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL November 05, 2009
Citizens have been called upon to constantly demand their rights from public office holders since this will regularly remind government of its responsibilities and also keep public officers in check.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Joseph Yieleh Chireh made this call at Bolgatanga during a consultation forum organized by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council on Ghana’s decentralisation system.
Honourable Yieleh Chireh noted that there have been calls for government to contract experts on decentralisation to review Ghana’s decentralised system of government, but government decided to consult with the ordinary citizens because they feel the actual impacts of government’s decisions.
He said an effective decentralised system will deepen democracy in the country and at the same give the local people a chance to make decisions that directly affect their lives daily.
The minister said during the nation wide broad-based consultations, views will also be solicited from special groups like people living with HIV/AIDS and people with disabilities which will then be incorporated into the national review report on decentralisation.
In a speech read for him, the Upper East Regional Minister Honourable Mark Owen Woyongo observed that the nation wide consultation fora mark a fulfillment of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC’s) manifesto for a better Ghana which explicitly stated in 2008 that, if given the nod it will organise a broad national stakeholders’ conference on decentralisation.
Honourable Woyongo noted that the current concept of decentralisation began in 1988 with the promulgation of PNDCL 207 when Ghana opted for a multiparty democratic system of government.
He said even though the system operated for the past twenty years with some measure of difficulties and challenges, it is evident that many Ghanaians have accepted decentralisation as a noble concept for the fact that it promotes and ensures grass-roots participation in decision-making and governance.
The Regional Minister said, considering the many years of its operationalisation, it was only proper that President John Evans Atta Mills in his “state of the nation address” in February this year re-echoed the need for major amendments to be made in the Local Government Act 462 of 1993 and Local Government Service Act 656 of 2003 so as to deepen local democracy, accelerate decentralisation and empower people for local development.
He appealed to Ghanaians and identifiable groups across the regions to discuss issues frankly and also present their rich experiences to help push the decentralisation system forward.
The Director of Institute of Local Government Studies, Doctor Esther Ofei-Aboagye in her presentation disclosed that the law establishing district assemblies indicates that they are to formulate and execute development programmes, develop strategies for resource mobilisation including collection of taxes and rates among others to improve the lives of people at the local level.
Doctor Ofei-Aboagye said as years went by, more responsibilities have been added to the work of district assemblies and today, they are expected to do more within their areas of jurisdiction. They are now taking charge of environmental sanitation and waste management and also assist people living with HIV/AIDS.
She noted however that some government policies and programmes do not allow district and municipal assemblies to take full control of their own resources as to be able to meet their added responsibilities.
Furthermore, some assemblies lack the capacity to plan effectively and to raise the needed revenue for development purposes. There is also the issue of traditional rulers demanding control of resources within their areas and this poses more obstacles to the work of assemblies.
Doctor Ofei-Aboagye therefore called for the government to clarify how district assemblies should relate to civil society, various political parties and non-governmental organisations in order to enhance citizens’ involvement in governance.
Presenting their papers on the decentralisation concept, the Country Director of SEND Foundation, Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo advocated directed citizens’ participation in governance while asking citizens to demand decentralization instead of waiting for government to supply it. He said citizens must be able to track public resources and have access to public duty bearers.
Meanwhile, a partner of IBIS West Africa, Mr. Shaibu Abubakari of BEWDA, an NGO called for a repeal or amendment of LI 1589 to redefine sub-district structures such as Urban, Unit and Zonal Councils and their respective responsibilities. IBIS also called for the proper resourcing of the Information Services Department and the National Commission on Civic Education for them to embark on continuous education of the public on the works of government.
Also members of the public asked for smaller contracts of the district level to be given to local contractors while other called for the completed decentralisation of the pension scheme so that workers who retire at old age do not have to travel to the national capital to do paper work for their of end of service entitlements.
District co-ordinating directors, district and municipal chief executives, traditional rulers, identifiable groups and the general public attended the consultative forum.
BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM
ISD – BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL November 05, 2009
Citizens have been called upon to constantly demand their rights from public office holders since this will regularly remind government of its responsibilities and also keep public officers in check.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Joseph Yieleh Chireh made this call at Bolgatanga during a consultation forum organized by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council on Ghana’s decentralisation system.
Honourable Yieleh Chireh noted that there have been calls for government to contract experts on decentralisation to review Ghana’s decentralised system of government, but government decided to consult with the ordinary citizens because they feel the actual impacts of government’s decisions.
He said an effective decentralised system will deepen democracy in the country and at the same give the local people a chance to make decisions that directly affect their lives daily.
The minister said during the nation wide broad-based consultations, views will also be solicited from special groups like people living with HIV/AIDS and people with disabilities which will then be incorporated into the national review report on decentralisation.
In a speech read for him, the Upper East Regional Minister Honourable Mark Owen Woyongo observed that the nation wide consultation fora mark a fulfillment of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC’s) manifesto for a better Ghana which explicitly stated in 2008 that, if given the nod it will organise a broad national stakeholders’ conference on decentralisation.
Honourable Woyongo noted that the current concept of decentralisation began in 1988 with the promulgation of PNDCL 207 when Ghana opted for a multiparty democratic system of government.
He said even though the system operated for the past twenty years with some measure of difficulties and challenges, it is evident that many Ghanaians have accepted decentralisation as a noble concept for the fact that it promotes and ensures grass-roots participation in decision-making and governance.
The Regional Minister said, considering the many years of its operationalisation, it was only proper that President John Evans Atta Mills in his “state of the nation address” in February this year re-echoed the need for major amendments to be made in the Local Government Act 462 of 1993 and Local Government Service Act 656 of 2003 so as to deepen local democracy, accelerate decentralisation and empower people for local development.
He appealed to Ghanaians and identifiable groups across the regions to discuss issues frankly and also present their rich experiences to help push the decentralisation system forward.
The Director of Institute of Local Government Studies, Doctor Esther Ofei-Aboagye in her presentation disclosed that the law establishing district assemblies indicates that they are to formulate and execute development programmes, develop strategies for resource mobilisation including collection of taxes and rates among others to improve the lives of people at the local level.
Doctor Ofei-Aboagye said as years went by, more responsibilities have been added to the work of district assemblies and today, they are expected to do more within their areas of jurisdiction. They are now taking charge of environmental sanitation and waste management and also assist people living with HIV/AIDS.
She noted however that some government policies and programmes do not allow district and municipal assemblies to take full control of their own resources as to be able to meet their added responsibilities.
Furthermore, some assemblies lack the capacity to plan effectively and to raise the needed revenue for development purposes. There is also the issue of traditional rulers demanding control of resources within their areas and this poses more obstacles to the work of assemblies.
Doctor Ofei-Aboagye therefore called for the government to clarify how district assemblies should relate to civil society, various political parties and non-governmental organisations in order to enhance citizens’ involvement in governance.
Presenting their papers on the decentralisation concept, the Country Director of SEND Foundation, Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo advocated directed citizens’ participation in governance while asking citizens to demand decentralization instead of waiting for government to supply it. He said citizens must be able to track public resources and have access to public duty bearers.
Meanwhile, a partner of IBIS West Africa, Mr. Shaibu Abubakari of BEWDA, an NGO called for a repeal or amendment of LI 1589 to redefine sub-district structures such as Urban, Unit and Zonal Councils and their respective responsibilities. IBIS also called for the proper resourcing of the Information Services Department and the National Commission on Civic Education for them to embark on continuous education of the public on the works of government.
Also members of the public asked for smaller contracts of the district level to be given to local contractors while other called for the completed decentralisation of the pension scheme so that workers who retire at old age do not have to travel to the national capital to do paper work for their of end of service entitlements.
District co-ordinating directors, district and municipal chief executives, traditional rulers, identifiable groups and the general public attended the consultative forum.
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