Local govt sys. partisan – Expert

The increasing clamour for the removal of some district chief executives (DCEs) betrays the partisan nature of Ghana’s local governance system, an expert George Kyei Baffuor has said.

Protests by groups of disaffected persons have been rife in some districts across the country, with appeals by such individuals to President John Dramani Mahama, to sack the DCEs concerned.

But Mr Kyei Baffuor, speaking on Accra News Tuesday March 15, 2016, blamed the current happenings on the deviation from the original concept of decentralisation, which Ghana embarked upon in 1988, to bring government closer to the people – a move that saw the creation of districts and assemblies.

He said: “The concept of decentralisation was great. If you look at Article 248 of our constitution, the work of assemblies should not be partisan, it should not be political. District assembly aspirants are mandated to contest for office free of partisan influences.”

He explained that in addition to persons elected in district level elections to serve on the assembly, the government was entitled to appoint 30% of members of the assembly.

But he lamented that all persons appointed to serve on the assembly by the government, since the system was rolled out, have been members of the governing party, DCEs inclusive.

“The most unfortunate aspect of it all is that most of these DCEs have contested previously as parliamentary candidates of the governing party. So, the people’s taxes, which should have been used for development, is used for partisan affairs,” added Mr Kyei Baffuor.

“So, because the DCE’s position has become so partisan, it is the members of the governing party, who dictate how affairs of the district should be run. It has, thus, made their [party members’] influence, regarding how the DCE runs the district and, who becomes DCE, become so prominent we have often not had competent DCEs to lead the districts. Once that happens, then it [the administration of the assembly] becomes one-sided and partisan.

“That’s why the party members interfere with their work, because they tend to think they have found employment for the DCE, so, they are entitled to something [money, contracts, etc.] from him. Then they agitate for a new person to come in once they are not getting monetary rewards for influencing an appointment.

“So, it disturbs greatly the local government set up. And, from what is happening now, it is becoming necessary to elect DCEs. Once DCEs are elected, there will be no avenue for all that.”

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com/91.3fm