The Eastern Region’s district assemblies in Suhum and Ayensuano were opened by Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, highlighting the importance of decentralization and local governance in Ghana’s democratic framework.
On Monday, February 12, in her capacity as President Nana Akufo-Addo’s spokesperson, she commended every elected assembly member and member of the unit committee for their victories in the most recent district elections.
As required by the constitution, the chief of staff reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing decentralization while highlighting the function of district assemblies in encouraging public involvement in local governance and decision-making.
As 259 district assemblies were inaugurated, Osei-Opare reviewed the advancements in decentralization initiatives since 1988. She claimed that because of the increased number of district assemblies, the government is now more accessible to the public than it has ever been.
She did concede, though, that despite years of decentralization initiatives, people still have a propensity to turn to Accra for answers to regional problems. She asked assembly members to actively interact with their constituents and provide fundamental public services locally to alter the current situation.
“The general public’s natural tendency is still to turn to Accra or their Members of Parliament for issues that are the purview of the district assembly. “I anticipate that you will be a member of the group that ultimately alters the current state of affairs and promotes local governance and decentralization, allowing citizens to obtain essential public services within their districts instead of relying on Accra to provide them,” the woman stated.
Osei-Opare advocated for ongoing efforts to increase citizens’ understanding of decentralization and local governance through capacity-building and sensitization campaigns. To maximize the advantages of local governance, she emphasized the significance of forming solid alliances and working closely with town, urban, and area councils, among other local institutions.
To support the District Assembly’s work, you should also forge solid alliances and work closely with the local institutions, especially the unit committees, traditional authorities, town, zonal, and area councils, as well as other recognizable groups. The principles of local governance are maximized for the benefit of the populace through these alliances and cooperative efforts, the speaker stated.
The government’s emphasis on enhancing the mobilization of internally generated funds (IGFs) for district development was emphasized by the chief of staff. She asked assembly members to collaborate to come up with creative ideas for resource mobilization in their respective regions.
Assembly members must continue to push the government’s development agenda, especially the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2022–2025), Osei-Opare emphasized. She emphasized that for local projects and programs to be implemented effectively, they must be in line with sectoral and national policies.
She also talked about the difficulties in district leadership, emphasizing the need to stay in touch with voting districts and consult residents on matters of development. To increase the competence of assembly members, she announced upcoming orientation and training programs and outlined efforts to address resource constraints.
