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Dan Botwe urges MDAs to promote decentralisation agenda
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Daniel Botwe has called on Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to exercise their functions well as slated in the Local Governance Act 2016, Act 936, to promote the decentralisation initiative.
He noted that the assemblies, as part of the Local Governance structure, were mandated to bring local governance to the people, adding they were in charge of the departments and all government projects in their jurisdiction.
“We all think there is an unfinished business in this decentralization thing. We have not paid much attention to it,” he said and called on the assemblies to be up and doing and ensure they go by their functions as stated in the Local Government Act, as well as take control of their development plan.
Mr Dan Botwe made these statements when he toured three municipalities including Lower Manya Krobo, New Juaben South and Abuakwa South in the Eastern region to inspect the progress of work made on the Ghana Secondary Cities Support Projects (GSCSP) which was funded by the World Bank.
The three municipalities, were among five other municipalities, including Upper West Akyem and Birim Central, in the region to have been selected to benefit from the project that was purposed to help to improve urban management and basic urban services in the beneficiary municipalities.
Construction of lockable stores, hostels, ultramodern markets, shopping mall, and redevelopment of the Koforidua Jacksons Park among other ongoing projects in the three municipalities were among 582 projects ongoing in 48 districts in the country.
Mr Dan Botwe also paid courtesy call on the Okyenhene,Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin in Kyebi and Nene Sackitey II,Konor of Lower Manya Krobo.
Speaking further, Mr Botwe explained that per the Act, “an Assembly member cannot go for an assembly meeting without meeting the people in their jurisdiction and after every assembly meeting, the person has to go back to meet the people again. It is in the law.”
“Decentralization occurs when the people in the assemblies take their own decisions, prioritize their needs and take annual action plans to ensure their needs are met,” he said.
He called on the assemblies to ensure that they account to the people in their jurisdiction and make them aware of the many projects ongoing in their communities that were meant to benefit them.
Speaking on the GSCSP projects, he was glad about the progress made and called the assemblies to own the projects and ensure that they yielded the needed results.
He noted that capacity building of the Local Government Service staff was necessary to enable them to deliver quality services to the people in their jurisdiction and hence the need for more education and sensitization.
He revealed several collaborations have been made with the Local Government Service to build the capacities of staff of the assemblies to enable them to deliver quality services needed for accelerated development in their communities.
“Some Assemblies are doing well in terms of ranking, but in totality, the average person should feel the presence of government and they can feel the government through government structures like the assemblies, unit committees and through other sub-structures of the assembly,” he said
He called on the media to also ensure that they hold the assemblies accountable and ensure they performed their functions based on what has been slated in the Local Government Act.
For his part, the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin noted that the centrality of governance was outdated and called on the government to ensure that decentralization was embraced to ensure accountability, transparency, ownership and development.
“It is when the people own their projects that we can ensure the development of this country,” he said and called on the government to emulate other developed countries that have embraced decentralization.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Seth Acheampong said he was encouraged by the progress on the (GSCSP) and said if they continued in the region would achieve the needed development in the area.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
