CDD-Ghana holds Local Government Reforms Stakeholder workshop in Bolgatanga

The Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana) has organised a one-day stakeholder workshop in the Upper East Region to discuss local government reforms.

The engagement, held in Bolgatanga on Thursday, April 16, was organised in partnership with RISE-Ghana with funding support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Participants at the workshop included traditional leaders, religious leaders, political party representatives, assembly members, selected organised groups, and media personnel, among others.

Discussions at the event focused on research findings by CDD-Ghana on local governance at the assembly level, as well as recommendations from the Constitutional Review Commission report on local governance.

Key issues raised by participants based on the two reports included proposals for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), the composition of appointed members of the assemblies, the non-partisanship of traditional leaders, and the functions of assembly sub-structures such as Unit Committee members.

The Programmes Manager for CDD-Ghana, Paul Nana Kwabena Mensah, noted that three major issues cut across the findings: the election of MMDCEs, the financial capacity of district assemblies, and the ineffective functioning of grievance procedures within the assemblies.

“These key issues are interrelated. When there is no proper election of a chief executive, accountability shifts to the appointing authority. Similarly, without adequate financial capacity, assemblies cannot function effectively.” He said.

Participants at the forum expressed divergent views on the key recommendations and described the engagement as an excellent platform for strengthening and deepening local governance.

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