By Benjamin Adamafio Commey, GNA
Accra, May 20, GNA – Professor Kwamena Ahwoi,Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation, has urged stakeholders to balance local autonomy with central government oversight in implementing Ghana’s decentralisation agenda to safeguard national unity.
The call comes ahead of the implementation of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework (NDPS) 2026–2030, aimed at resetting democratic decentralisation to enhance accountable public service delivery and accelerate local-level development.
Speaking at a Sensitisation and Policy Orientation Workshop on Decentralisation and Local Governance for editorial heads and editors in Accra, Prof Ahwoi said decentralisation remained a politically sensitive process because it involved the transfer of power, authority and resources from central government to local authorities.
He said although decentralisation was critical to deepening democracy and encouraging grassroots participation in governance, excessive autonomy without adequate safeguards could undermine state cohesion.
“Decentralisation implementation must ensure a delicate balance between local autonomy and central control. We want the districts to be autonomous and able to do their own things, but we do not want them to become so autonomous that they risk breaking up the country,” he said.
Prof Ahwoi, a key figure in Ghana’s 1988 decentralisation reforms, said illiteracy, poverty, urban elite dominance and political party control had historically hindered grassroots participation in local governance.
He said district council proceedings were previously conducted only in English, excluding many citizens from active participation in local elections, and reforms were therefore introduced to permit assemblies to conduct proceedings in English or local languages chosen by assembly members.
Prof Ahwoi said local government elections were made free to remove financial barriers to participation.
“Everything about local government elections is free. You do not pay deposits or finance your own campaigns because the Electoral Commission provides the platform for campaigning and voting,” he said.
On the debate over partisan district-level elections, Prof. Ahwoi said the non-partisan system was adopted to ensure assembly members represented the interests of all residents rather than political parties.
He called for broad national consensus and constitutional amendments before any referendum on the issue.
“We are not opposed to making the system partisan, but we must address the consequences before we go to vote,” he said.
Prof Ahwoi also advocated the establishment of district-level accountability institutions, including audit services and anti-corruption bodies, to strengthen oversight.
He disclosed that a revised Local Governance Bill under development proposed reforms to strengthen decentralisation and improve local governance, including revised population thresholds for the creation of districts, municipalities and metropolitan assemblies.
Prof Ahwoi explained that the current thresholds, based on Ghana’s 1984 population of 12.4 million, had become outdated given the present population of about 35 million, adding that future thresholds would be determined by population percentages rather than fixed figures.
The proposed bill also seeks to establish Budget and Environmental Sustainability Subcommittees within Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to strengthen local participation in addressing illegal mining activities.
Another proposed reform is the creation of District Public Interest and Accountability Committees to oversee the use of public funds at the district level.
Prof Ahwoi urged media organisations, particularly local FM stations, to intensify coverage of district assembly proceedings and local governance issues through live broadcasts, regular reporting on State of the District Addresses and specialised decentralisation programmes.
Dr Esther Ofei Aboagye, a member of the IMCC Technical Committee, said the new National Decentralisation Policy sought to strengthen accountable public service delivery and accelerate local-level development nationwide.
She said the policy would focus on political, administrative and fiscal decentralisation, decentralised planning, local economic development and popular participation, while placing greater emphasis on citizen engagement, digital innovation, gender inclusion and climate resilience.
Dr Ofei Aboagye said the reforms were informed by lessons from more than three decades of Ghana’s assembly system, emerging governance challenges, technological advancements and increasing public demand for transparent, participatory and efficient local governance structures.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey