MMDAs flout Model Standing Orders — Survey
Majority of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) do not fully comply with the Model Standing Orders (MSOs), the mechanism in strengthening accountability and transparency in decision making at the assemblies.
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It has also emerged that 70 per cent of assembly members are not aware of the types of meetings organised by the assembly.
These were contained in research findings conducted by the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) in partnership with the Local Governance Network (LOGNET), Rural Media Network (RUMNET), and Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) and the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS).
The report of the research findings was launched in Tamale last Saturday.
It was aimed at providing a platform for MMDAs to reflect on best practices as well as challenges and also promote social accountability through active participation of the citizenry at the local governance level.
The research also revealed that notice of MMDAs meetings did not get to members on time because the right communication mediums such as the newspapers and radio stations required by the MSOs were not used to send out information to members and to the general public.
Recommendations
It urged the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to insist on the timely delivery of minutes of general assembly meetings to the public.
The research also urged civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media to improve public education and sensitisation on the MSOs as it went a long way to enhance social accountability.
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Launch of report
In a speech read on his behalf to launch the report, the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, stressed the need for the MMDAs to place much importance on the MSOs.
According to him, the democratic participation in governance was a statutory requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution of the country which caters for the needs of district assemblies as a way of deepening decentralisation and local structures for the developmental needs of the assembly.
Alhaji Limuna said MSO played a critical role in the improvement of decentralisation and local governance as they provided a platform for individuals and groups to add their voices to the decentralisation concept.
“It is at the general assembly meetings that consensus is built and development initiatives and programmes are developed to improve the livelihood of individuals, communities and groups at the local governance level,” he said.
He commended the organisers and their partners for their efforts in deepening democracy and improving the decentralisation concept in the country.
The Executive Director for GDCA, Alhaji Osman Abdul-Rahman, in an interview with the Daily Graphic said the initiative formed part of efforts to bring governance to the doorsteps of the citizens to enhance participation in the governance system.
Alhaji Abdul-Rahman said the survey was to give the MMDAs the opportunity to reflect on their best practices as well as know what challenges they were facing and how well they could solve them to ensure decentralisation and accountability.