REVIEW MODE OF APPOINTING ASSEMBLY HEADS — AHWOI (SPREAD, JAN 7, 2011)

A Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, has suggested a review of the mode of appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), for a better and more efficient decentralisation programme to take place.
He noted that with the passage of the L.I. 1961, which details the establishment of the departments of the district assemblies (DAs) and merger of agencies within some ministries, departments and agencies, there was the need to re-examine how MMDCEs were appointed to enable them to carry out their work effectively.
“Until we change the highly political requirement for appointing MMDCEs, the effective implementation of the L.I 1961 will be very difficult,” he said
Mr Ahwoi explained that since under L.I. 1961, MMDCEs would assume the position of the highest political authority in the districts, it was only good that the process of appointing them be such that it promoted harmony and enhanced the work of the assemblies.
Mr Ahwoi made the suggestion at a public lecture on Ghana's decentralised system in Bolgatanga on the topic “One Step Forward: The Significance of L.I. 1961 in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies' Capacity”.
The lecture was organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in conjunction with the Local Government Service (LGS) and attended by district chief executives, directors and staff of decentralised departments across the region.
L.I. 1961 was enacted to give effect to the Local Government Service Act of 2003 (Act 656), which provides the framework for administrative decentralisation and allocates functions, as well as human resources from central agencies, to those at the district level.
Mr Ahwoi explained that the objectives of the L.I. 1961 sought to operationalise the functioning of the decentralised departments at the district level as departments of the assemblies; to confirm the staff of the departments of the DAs as members of the LGS; and to ensure the operationalisation of the district composite budget system.
Mr Ahwoi said the L.I.1961 adopted a two-phase approach to the establishment of the departments of the district assemblies.
Under phase one of the L.I, departments which were not established by legislation were to be converted into departments of the district assemblies immediately, while under phase two, departments established by legislation would also convert into departments of the district assemblies when their enabling laws had been appropriately amended.
Mr Ahwoi noted that with the implementation of the LI 1961, the bureaucracy chain in the decentralisation process would be broken to allow for effective delivery at the various levels.
The Head of the Local Government Studies, Mr Akwasi Opong Fosu, said the necessary regulations needed to facilitate the commencement of the LI 1961 were being worked out and would soon be made public.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo, said the passage of the L.I 1961 was the first step of creating the legislative framework and structures for the commencement of the decentralised departments to work under the ambit of assemblies.
He was, however, not pleased with the fact that the L.I. was silent on the role of regional co-ordinating councils and regional departments and expressed the hope that the issue would be addressed to facilitate a deeper understanding of the interface between the RCCs and the regional departments and those of the MMDAs and their departments to maintain harmony and effective administration.