Hot!
Increase District Common Fund by 40% – Dr Oduro Osae urges government
A Local Government Expert, Dr Eric Oduro Osae, is calling for a 40 per cent increment in the District Common Funds.He argues that there is a lack of scientific basis for the current 5 per cent rate proposed by the constitution, which he believes fails to meet development needs.
Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, Dr Osae explained that the underperformance of the various assemblies stems from the financial challenges that most are facing.
“I think that if the Common Fund is raised to about 40% of total national revenue it will help because Article 252 of the Constitution sets only the lower limit and not the upper limit,” he said.
His comment comes on the back of assertions by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, that most assemblies within the capital are not performing.
During a meeting with some MMDCEs on Tuesday, Mr Quartey expressed disappointment with the state of affairs in the Greater Accra Region.
He also questioned the role of the Assemblies in curbing indiscipline and ensuring development.
But the Local Government expert insists allocating funds based on identified needs will ensure they are used for that purpose and not to address other issues.
“If government is not mobilising enough, then 5% of government revenue will definitely not be enough to finance development.
So it is a national conversation that we should have. “But I have always made a proposal that we should use a scientific base to calculate the development needs of the local government and transfer an amount equal to what they need to develop. “Because the not-less-than 5% figure that was fixed in the constitution for Common Fund has no scientific basis,” he emphasised.However, the Member of Parliament for Ho Central, Benjamin Komla Kpodo, disagrees.
He argues that the proposed increment will not yield any impact due to government’s lack of desire to decentralise local governance.“The constitution says a minimum of 5% then during President Kufuor’s time it was raised to 7.5 and then President Mahama continued with it.
But when this government came it brought it back to 5% and went ahead to cap it. “So you see that the desire for a centralized government which often initiates the decentralization process is to keep the money at the centre so they will have control.
They do not want the district assemblies to have control over their affairs,” he said.Meanwhile, the Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, Nicholas Awortwi, says Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will only be accountable to the public when they are elected.
“We have a situation where the Chief Executive who should have the power and be the representative of the people is rather a representative of the central government because the law makes the Chief Executive the representative of the central government and in that case, his allegiance and accountability are all up to the central government.
“If DCEs are elected, they will make themselves more relevant and accountable to the people and will do more than what they are doing now,” he said.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
