Ahmed Ibrahim’s Radical Reforms to Reset Local Governance

A new Local Government Minister, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim has been appointed by President Mahama to steer affairs to ensuring that governance at the local level is conducted in a manner that conform to the desires and needs of the people affected. Many of the district assemblies in Ghana own many challenges including poor sanitation, inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, streetism among others. These are mainly due to lack of money to address these issues so that the socioeconomic conditions of the local population are enhanced.

The new minister if approved must be radical in implementing reforms aimed at improving the district assemblies to ensure sustainable development. As a country, we cannot continue to pay lip service to the assemblies because there is no denying the fact that decentralization is the ‘gold’ Ghanaians need to end poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). What must Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim do?

1. Sustainable Financing
Funding has remained the biggest challenge of most Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana. The district assemblies are the biggest victims because avenues for Internally Generated Fund (IGF) are limited.

For instance, as of August, 2024, the Sissala West District actual revenue performance from all revenue sources compared with budget was a paltry 11.78 percent. IGF was highest with 38.27 percent and the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) was lowest at 7.6 percent. This does not contradict an assessment of selected MMDAs IGF potential and effort for 2022 published in December, 2023 by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in partnership with the UNDP. According to the report, all the five selected assemblies raised less than 50 percent in IGF with the Sagnarigu Municipal raising a low 7.3 percent.

Clearly, majority of the MMDAs cannot rely on the IGF to fund their development. The only major source of funding is the DACF. This is not also made available to the district assemblies by the central government. In March, 2024, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Local Government Committee of Parliament, Benjamin Kpodo, has lamented that the government is indebted to the DACF about GH¢6.5 billion due to delay in the release of funds by the Finance Ministry.

“The Ministry of Finance has been violating the constitution. Article 252(2) clearly states that the disbursement should be done on a quarterly basis, which they were not doing. As we speak now, the Common Fund is being owed some GH¢3.5 billion over the past two years. For 2023, the debt has again risen by another GH¢3 billion. So, I don’t know where the Ministry of Finance is keeping the money meant for the District Assemblies Common Fund.”

This is impeding development and making poverty flex its muscles. Article 252(2) of the 1992 Constitution mandated that; “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament shall annually make provision for the allocation of not less than five percent of the total revenues of Ghana to the District Assemblies for development; and the amount shall be paid into the District Assemblies Common Fund in quarterly instalments.”

Section 126 (2) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) clarifies total revenue as follows; “The total revenues of the country includes the revenues collected by or accruing to the central Government other than foreign loans and foreign grants, non-tax revenue, petroleum revenue paid into the Petroleum Holding Fund under section 3 of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, 2011 (Act 815) and revenues already collected by or for District Assemblies under any enactment.” Clearly the 5 percent or more must be determined from the total tax revenue.

Unfortunately, this money as proven above is not flowing to the MMDAs as stipulated by the constitution. The meagre amount that is released to the MMDAs is severed at the headquarters leaving almost nothing for the assemblies to confront their development challenges.

It is therefore not surprising that a report by EduWatch in 2023 put the total number of public basic school pupils without desks to about 2.3 million. If the Common Fund were to be released and in full amount to the assemblies as dictated by law, then the infrastructure gaps would have been largely addressed.

The minister is encouraged to distort the practice where contracts are signed on behalf of the assemblies at the headquarters. This will save the whole amount meant for the districts assemblies in the DACF. The minister is also encouraged to implement the NDC’s manifesto promise to increase the share of the DACF of total national revenue from 5 percent to 7.5 percent and implore Parliament to review the disbursement formula to ensure fairness and equity. This will at least help the assemblies have access to sustainable source of funding to address their problems.

2. Capacity Building for Assembly Members and Staff

A study conducted by David Kobla Fiankor and Harry Akussah in 2012 established that policy makers in the assembly system of Ghana had little access to relevant and reliable information when making decisions about policies, programmes and policy implementation. Decisions were therefore often made based on what could be remembered.

They recommended the presentation of information sources in appropriate formats for assembly members; enhancing the capability of assembly members through training; the establishment of district assembly libraries and information centres; the provision of adequate funding by assemblies to support subscription to relevant information sources; and the effective dissemination of information by the district assemblies.

As a first time Assembly Member, I have come to realize that many Assembly Members do not have a full understanding of Act 936 and their own Standing Orders. Other relevant laws like the Public Financial Management Act 2016 (Act 921), Public Procurement Act, 2003 ( Act 663) as amended with ( Act 914) and so on and so forth are out of reach of Assembly Members. This impedes their ability to approach issues with confidence and hold duty bearers accountable.

The Institute of Local Government Studies must be empowered to help train and enhance Assembly Members’ understanding of local governance. Scholarships for assembly members’ to enhance their knowledge on local governance will be very important because the local communities expect them to competently and effectively execute both their executive and legislative functions as required of them by law. Hon. Ahmed must look into this and encourage Assembly Members to take up courses that enhance their capacity. He will forever be appreciated for this.

3. Elections of MMDCEs
In 2019, President Akufo-Addo announced the cancelation of a December 17, 2019 Referendum and the withdrawal of the Bill to amend Article 243(1) to ensure the election of MMDCEs. Article 243(1) provides that; “There shall be a District Chief Executive for every district who shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of not less than two-thirds majority of members of the Assembly present and voting at the meeting.”

While it is the wish of the two major political parties to have MMDCEs elected, there is however a disagreement with the way and manner this must be done. The wish of Nana Addo and the NPP was to have MMDCEs elected on partisan basis but the NDC wants that be done on non partisan basis.

While I also support the election of MMDCEs, I believe taking away the President’s power to appoint will engender chaos in governance. Article 243(2)(a to c) clearly provides that; “The District Chief Executive shall —(a) preside at meetings of the Executive Committee of the Assembly; (b) be responsible for the day-to-day performance of the executive and administrative functions of the District Assembly; and (c) be the chief representative of the Central Government in the district.”

From the above, the MMDCEs are expected to discharge their duties for and on behalf of the President. Their ills are always blamed on the President. If we have to take away the power of the President to appoint, we must also have to immediately condition the minds of Ghanaians to accept that the ills of these now elected MMDCEs are solely theirs and must not therefore be blamed on the President.

I think allowing the President to appoint a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 for the consideration of the entire electorates in the district is the right thing to do. By doing so, the electorates will have the opportunity to determine who they prefer to lead them while preserving the right of the President to appoint. This allows for the person occupying the highest office in the district to act in the best interest of the President and not betray.

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim is compelled to see to the realization of NDC manifesto promise to strengthen local level participation and political accountability through the election of MMDCEs on a non-partisan basis by amending articles 243 and 246 (2) of the 1992 Constitution. If the NDC manifesto prescription is accepted, then the President’s power to appoint will be severed.

If we are truly concerned about bringing prosperity to the local communities, then true decentralization must be given to the people while ensuring that the one we elect to sit on the seat of government is not betrayed. The three prescriptions above, though not exhaustive, will do us a lot of good in our quest to achieve full decentralization and Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim is urged to consider them in his affairs. May he excel!