The election of Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) may result in the blatant disregard of directives from the central government.
It may also lead to local governments threatening the central government with legal suits for one thing or another.
These are some of the contributions to a major reform policy on decentralisation facing the country currently, that is, the election of MMDCEs.
The contributions were made by the doyen of decentralisation in Ghana, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi, during the launch of his second book, “Decentralisation in Ghana: A collection of Essays,” in Accra last Tuesday.
Homecoming
The book launch was a lively affair, with the participation of former ministers of state of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including the former Vice-President, Mr Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur; representatives of the former President, Mr John Mahama; representatives of the minority caucus in Parliament led by the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu; students, lecturers, administrators and public officials of decentralisation in the country.
Also present was the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Hajia Alima Mahama.
Excerpts
Prof. Ahwoi, who read excerpts from his book, breaking from the norm of delivering a speech as the author, chose this section to read out for the pleasure of the Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr Emmanuel Akwetey.
IDEG has been engaging various constituents, including political parties, on multi-party governance reforms, that would include the partisan election of MMDCEs at the district level.
He also read an excerpt for the pleasure of the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
The excerpt defined the difficulties that the person charged with decentralisation had to face in prosecuting that agenda.
The minister usually had to be a sort of “first among equals” because of the multi-sectorial dimensions of decentralisation and give directives across his or her sector to other sectors and ministries.
That was most often resented by other ministers, resulting in friction.
Prof. Ahwoi said the adoption of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCD), that brought together all critical sectors for the deliberation on and implementation of decentralisation policies, was Ghana’s way of overcoming that challenge.
Source: Daily Graphic
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He chopped money as a political theeeeeeeeeeeeef in accra. If the DCEs are appointed, he and his band of theeeeeves will not be able to steal any more. That is how Ghana is not progressing, the people appointed as DCEs from Accra as stuuuuuuuuppppid people.
IF the locals elected their own DCEs , sooner than later, proper people will develop the local communities better than the foooooooooooooooool appointed by people like Ahwoi.
Ahwoi is a bastarrrrd with no brains. Local leaders are more accountable to the people than the chop-chop theeeeves in Accra.
If local leaders appointed from Accra are good, why do we have so much rural urban migration?
Appointed local govt people DO NOT SERVE THE PEOPLE, they SERVE the APPOINTING man. If the appointing man is a foooooooooooooool, the DCE does the bidding of a fuuuuuuuuuuuuuul
foooooooolish man like you. It was OK to elect theeeeves to lead the nation. But you do not want the pple to elect the local leaders because YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT THEY WILL EXPOSE YOUR STUUUUPPPPPIDDDITY
I agree with Prof. especially with the the current state of events. I think we are not ready for District Council elections
I am amazed how Ghanaians have been bedazzled Kwamena Awhoi as the de facto authority on decentralisation and local government. But what he is offering is nothing but the delegation of powers from central government to a local authority and that is what we have now. This kind of delegation means the authority is still at par with the central government. But what Ghana truly need is a decentralisation by devolution, which means, the distribution of power from central government to a lower authority with the some tax raising powers, a budget to run local services like hospitals schools, policing, Fire service, housing and all other local services needed in a particular jurisdiction. Nana Addo and NPP should not buy into this status quo, but to really offer Ghanaians the inclusive government that he mentioned in his inaugural speech.The "same mo, same mo" Kwamena Awhoi is offering has not helped in the past and it will not help now.
NDC claims of Socialism is bad as dictatorship and authoritarian regimes. Many of the rot that NPP has succeeded is all because of the highest order of corruption in Mills and Mahama eight years rule which he Awhois were part of it. The existing system which support create loot and share had it origins from the policies crested by the Ahwois which discourage checks and balances. The election of MMDCEs is a major step to hold the central government accountable to the people. Kwamena Ahwoi's claim is nothing but a fight to protect a legacy which has become obsolete to the economic and political progress of the nation. The Election of MMDCEs is popular and welcome by all including many in NDC who wish for the progressive of the nation and not the their personal interest.
You see them? Lazy thinkers. All progressive societies have direct elections, US, UK, Europe. Ahwoi wants the status quo maintained so that their appointees can steel from wherever they want