NGO identify challenges in local government system

Mr. Alhassan Abdulai, Executive Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Youth Development and Empowerment (CPYED), non-governmental organisation (NGO), working in the Northern Region, has observed that the implementation of decentralization programme was fraught with problems.
He said the NGO realised this after a two-year strategic plan on good governance developed by the CPYED for the Karaga, Gushiegu, Savelugu/Nanton and Central Gonja districts.

The Executive Director of CPYED said it was detected among other things that the Unit Committees of the district assemblies were not pro-active and in some instances were non-existent.

Mr. Abdulai was speaking at a media encounter to through more light on the activities of the NGO in the region, in Tamale on Monday.

He said it was also found out that the authorities at the assemblies were not accountable to the people while some members were partisan in their deliberations at assembly meetings.

Mr. Abdulai said other challenges identified were the lack of collaboration between the assemblies and traditional authorities and that some community members did not regard projects being executed by the assembly as their own and therefore did not take active participation in the process, resulting in the tax payers' money going into the drain.

Mr. Alhassan Amadu, a facilitator at the forum suggested that members of parliament should have Offices in the district assemblies to enable them actively participate in the district assembly deliberations.
Most of the participants at the forum were of the view that the frequent clashes between district chief executives and their members of parliament were not about principles but selfish interest.