Every district created by NPP satisfied population thresholds and economic viability — Minority

The Minority in Parliament has asserted that every district created under New Patriotic Party (NPP) administrations met the population and economic viability standards required by law.

According to the caucus, the creation of districts and regions was not arbitrary but a deliberate policy to bring governance closer to the people and ensure equitable development across the country.

Their defence follows remarks by Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, a former Local Government Minister, who questioned the rationale behind Ghana’s current 261 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).

Speaking at a national dialogue on decentralisation in Accra on Friday, September 26, Prof. Ahwoi argued that the excessive number of assemblies was counterproductive, with many of them “barely existing” and unfit for planning purposes.

Responding in a statement dated Wednesday, October 1, and signed by Francis Asenso-Boakye, Ranking Member on the Committee on Local Government and Decentralisation, the Minority caucus described the remarks as inaccurate.

“Every metropolitan, municipal, and district assembly that was created, at least under the NPP administration, satisfied the population thresholds and economic viability requirements enshrined in the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936). The process was undertaken with due regard to the law, not partisan convenience,” the statement said.

It added that decentralisation was never about maintaining old structures but about empowering underserved communities to directly receive resources and opportunities.

The Minority further argued that the six new regions created between 2018 and 2019 have already delivered tangible benefits.

It cited the establishment of Regional Coordinating Councils, new security and administrative offices, and expanded social services as evidence that the policy is working.