Prof. Oquaye and Mr. Adjei in a group photo with participants during the forum
SPEAKER OF Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has called for the strengthening of Ghana’s local governance system.
He made the call at a national Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Forum on Tuesday, June 27 in Accra. He said, “Without strong local government, we cannot seriously do democracy and good governance.”
Speaking under the theme: “CSOs’ Role in Transformational Local Governance Reform in Ghana,”, Prof. Oquaye indicated that the only way out in bringing about an end to the winner-takes-all practice in Ghana’s political landscape, was to strengthen the local governance system.
The Speaker explained that it was important for locals to be given considerable authority over their lives so that even chalks would not be bought by the Minister of Local Government.
According to him, it was imperative to end the winner-takes-all system in the country to ensure a multiparty governance system that allows for local authorities to take charge of developments within their jurisdictions.
“One way I think we can deal with this problem (winner-takes-all) is to strengthen local governance,” the Speaker stressed, lamenting that the current status quo denies the locals the opportunity to govern themselves and continually rely on the central government before taking key decisions that matter to their lives.
Budgetary Allocation
To that end, he has proposed for 20 per cent of national budget to be allocated to local government. He also called for the empowerment of women across the various political divides.
Appeal
Prof. Oquaye urged the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and other CSOs to continue to engage and debate on how best to strengthen the local government system, especially on the need for the elections of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kwasi Boateng Adjei, indicated that the country had made significant progress in the area of decentralization since the late 1980s when the structure of the local government was revived through the enactment of the Local Government Law in 1988 PNDC Law 247.
“The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is a committed advocate of the system of strong local government,” he said, adding that the party’s manifesto and ideological heritage is committed to strengthening local government by ensuring meaningful devolution of power to local authorities.
He reiterated President Akufo-Addo’s pledge to ensure the elections of MMDCEs in the near future, calling for political inclusion to broaden Ghana’s democracy.
BY Maame Anima Akowuah