An Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Prof. Joseph Atsu Ayee, has stated that decentralisation offers the best opportunity for development in the country.
He has, therefore, stressed the need to get local governance right by capacitating local government workers, making the assemblies their own masters over their funds, and making district authorities accountable to their communities.
He said decentralisation, as it currently existed was largely driven by central policies, laws and the centralisation of local governance activities within a framework prescribed by the central government, what he termed as the strengthening of the hardware features of local governance.
He was speaking at the Civic Forum Initiative of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and Oxfam on the theme: “Constitutional Reforms and Democratic Decentralisation in Ghana: The Way Forward”.
He spoke on the sub-theme, “Reforming Decentralisation to Deepen Autonomy, Accountability and Responsiveness in Ghana.”
The programme was organised by IDEG and Oxfam to engage Ghanaians on the Government’s position on the Report of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) released in December 2025, and the subsequent government position on the report released on July 28, 2025.
Transitions, tautology
Prof. Aryee said political transitions in the country had a debilitating effect on local governance because, with political transitions came discontinuity in governance at the local level.
That, he said, needed to be addressed to ensure continuity even when there was a change in government.
He stressed the need for local authorities to be accountable to their communities in service delivery and superintend over their finances rather than finances being predetermined by the central government.
A lawyer and coordinator of the Affirmative Action Coalition (AAC), Becky Enyonam Ahadzi, presenting the position of the coalition, said the position by the government meant no headway for women in local governance.
She added that the coalition was of the view that mechanisms such as policies and laws already in existence were enough to expand the participation of women in decision-making; however, constitutional guarantees were needed to make these viable.
Additionally, the government had to use the position on still appointing 30 per cent of people to the local assembly in a targeted way and as a corrective measure to ensure that women’s presence at the decision table moved from four per cent up.
She tasked the government to look beyond nominating people to the assembly to the outcomes of their nominations.
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