The government has pledged a minimum of ₵25 million each to all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assembly (MMDAs) across the country this year.
The Fund is to support district assemblies in executing their duties in the regions.
The president made this known at an orientation and training programme held in Accra on Wednesday, June 18.
“This year, every assembly—from the largest to the smallest—will receive not less than GH₵25 million. The NDC manifesto outlines a bold and people-centred agenda that puts local government at the heart of national development. You are the first line of the economy,” he stated.
The government earlier announced the distribution of 80% of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) to MMDCEs.
The remaining 20% of the fund, he noted, will be designated for projects managed by agencies such as the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), ensuring continued support for critical national initiatives.
President Mahama has cautioned that the government will assess the performance of each MMDCE to ensure accountability.
He warned that MMDCEs who do not live up to expectations shall be sacked.
“The Minister of Finance is about to release the first quarter of the District Assemblies Common Fund. As I said, 80% of the money is going directly to the regions for you to decide how to use it. So, MMDCEs, you have no excuse.
“We will send you the guidelines, approved at the last Cabinet meeting, to show how the funds should be disbursed. This will serve as your Key Performance Indicators. Every year, we will assess your performance, and based on that, we will decide whether you stay or go,” he said.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has announced a major new initiative to equip Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with earth-moving machinery for road construction.
The District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) will enable local assemblies to manage and execute infrastructure projects, particularly road construction.
The programme will be funded by the District Assembly Common Fund and contributions from donor partners, aiming to tackle the infrastructure deficits faced by MMDAs.
At a rally in Wulensi, Northern Region, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the significance of DRIP.
“We now have a new policy that we’re going to implement, which is basically the District Road Improvement Programme, every district is going to be a given a set of road equipment to work on your road, every district.
“I’m happy to note that all the equipment that we have ordered has arrived and every district will get a set which includes an excavator, back holder, wheel loaders, compact rollers, and tipper trucks. every district, set of equipment,” Dr Bawumia announced.
The inauguration of all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country has been officially scheduled for February 6, 2024.
This decision was made by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development in consultation with the Office of the President.
The announcement comes after the successful District Level Elections (DLEs) held in December 2023, leading to the election of new Assembly Members for various MMDAs.
“Following the successful conduct of the District level Elections (DLEs) in December 2023 and the subsequent election of new Assembly Members for various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development in consultation with the Office of the President has slated February 6, 2024, for the inauguration of all MMDAs across the country,” it stated.
The Ministry, in a statement released on Monday, January 22, 2024, emphasized the need for all MMDAs to make necessary preparations for the upcoming inauguration.
“Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs) are thus directed to hold the fort and ensure smooth operations in all MMDAs until the new Assembly Members are sworn into office and all Assemblies are duly inaugurated,” it added.
The directive is particularly aimed at Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs), who are instructed to ensure the smooth operation of MMDAs until the new Assembly Members are sworn into office and all Assemblies are duly inaugurated.
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), James Klutse Avedzi, has advised Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) against renewing contracts with waste management firm Zoomlion.
He cited the absence of clear benefits and noted that Parliament had endorsed the non-renewal of the waste management company’s contracts.
This warning came after the Fanteakwa South Municipal Assembly failed to provide the necessary documents for renewing its contract with Zoomlion.
Additionally, the committee recommended a comprehensive review of the existing agreements with Zoomlion, as many Assemblies lack transparency regarding the terms of their contracts with the company.
“I am told that there is a clause in the contract that gives automatic renewal. Unless you the assembly will communicate to the company the intention not to renew.
“So go back and read your contract document and then make reference to that clause, and inform Zoomlion that when your contract expires, you will not renew it again. Because you are not deriving any benefits from that, you are just wasting that money.”
Avedzi’s caution is raised in response to increasing concerns regarding the cost-effectiveness and transparency of Zoomlion’s contracts with MMDAs.
Critics have previously contended that the company charges excessive fees for its services and that its contracts are frequently granted without proper due process.
The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) has acquired 20,000 street lights for distribution and installation across various metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) within the Greater Accra Region.
This initiative aims to enhance both the lighting system and overall security in the region.
Currently, the council is compiling a comprehensive list of all electoral areas within the region.
This information will aid in devising a schedule for contractors to deploy and set up the new street lights.
Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, announced this development during the annual GARCC meeting.
The meeting was convened in accordance with Section 191(I) of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936).
Quartey outlined the allocation plan for the street lights distribution: the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Tema Metropolitan Assembly will each receive 600 lights, while various municipalities will receive 400 each. Additionally, district assemblies are set to obtain 300 street lights each.
The meeting convened metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs) from the region, along with their presiding members.
Discussions revolved around regional development and challenges faced by their respective areas, including sanitation, flooding, traffic congestion, road conditions, and chieftaincy issues.
MMDCEs provided updates to the minister on ongoing projects and their progress within their respective assemblies.
Quartey highlighted the influx of petitions and grievances submitted to his office, which should ideally have been addressed at the assembly level.
He urged MMDCEs to prioritize efficient service delivery, prompt resolution of complaints, and the establishment of effective feedback mechanisms.
This, he emphasized, would build trust and confidence in local governance, leading to better payment compliance with rates and fees.
Quartey also emphasized the importance of Internally Generated Funds (IGF) for capital projects, directing MMDCEs and presiding members to allocate a minimum of 30% of the total IGF for direct community benefit.
He stressed the need for enhanced waste management and environmental sanitation efforts, calling for integration of informal waste collectors through registration and regulation to improve solid waste collection and management.
Architect and Facility Management Consultant, Samuel Opare Agyemang, has placed partial blame on the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for the recent building collapses in the country, citing their negligence in fulfilling their supervisory responsibilities.
During an interview with the media, Mr. Agyemang highlighted that the MMDAs are struggling to effectively oversee construction projects within their jurisdictions due to a lack of resources, including vehicles for monitoring purposes.
He explained that the MMDAs are tasked with evaluating projects before granting permits and conducting inspections at various stages of the building process.
He expressed his belief that a significant portion, around 90%, of the blame for these incidents rests with the Municipal Assemblies for not adhering to these critical oversight duties.
Mr. Agyemang also identified the use of poor-quality construction materials as a contributing factor to building collapses.
He raised concerns about substandard materials, particularly citing issues with non-standard iron rod sizes, which can compromise the structural integrity of buildings.
Moreover, he pointed out that the involvement of unqualified individuals, such as masons rather than architects, in construction projects contributes to the problem.
Many Ghanaians, he noted, tend to prefer hiring masons instead of qualified architects, which can lead to errors in design and construction.
The discussion was prompted by the collapse of a wall at a construction site in Ofankor North near Accra on August 2, resulting in one confirmed fatality and several injuries.
The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry has placed the blame for the collapse of four ongoing building projects in the country within the past two weeks squarely on the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The Chamber believes that the failure of the MMDAs to effectively assess the work of land developers intending to erect buildings is the root cause of the collapsed structures.
The Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry asserts that some land developers engage quack engineers to supervise construction works and thus cut corners in building projects.
Mr. Emmanuel Cherry, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, spoke out on the issue in an interview with Citi FM.
He called on authorities to take action against land developers who flout structural integrity rules.
According to Mr. Cherry, the country has advanced technologies that can only be manned by professionals, but developers often hire unskilled workers who cannot provide the quality work needed.
The CEO identified the ineffective assessment of work by some MMDAs as another significant challenge in the industry. He emphasized that until the authorities crack down on these practices, the problem of collapsed buildings will persist.
“There are technologies in the system that are well advanced, that can only be manned by professionals. But what do we see? Developers just fall on any roadside mason, call them to site and give them whatsoever amount of money and then expect them to deliver quality for them. Some of the MMDAs also fail to effectively assess the work of land developers. These are some of the challenges we are having as an industry. So until we crack the whip, it will be very difficult to arrest the menace,” Mr. Cherry said.
Mr. Cherry announced that a stakeholder engagement would be held next week to address the concerns of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry. During the engagement, the necessary observations and recommendations to improve the industry’s practices will be made public.
The CEO hinted that the stakeholders would take responsibility for any faults on their part, including those by government agencies.
The latest incident at the Word In Action Church at old Bortianor is the most recent in a series of collapsed buildings, including the UDS City Campus at Sagnarigu, and the collapse of two separate three-storey buildings at Madina and Adentan in Accra.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, has urged the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and various Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to monitor and enforce adherence to the Greater Accra region’s prohibition on drumming and loud noises this year.
He said a task force working with the REGSEC has been set up to collaborate with the Police and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders who would fail to comply with rites preceding the celebration of the Homowo festival.
Mr Quartey gave the directives at a news conference to usher in this year’s annual observance of silence “Nmaa Dumo” ban on noise making and drumming.
He said the performance of customary rites preceding the celebration of Homowo festival does not in any way interfere with freedom of religion as alleged by some religious bodies or connote anything fetish as was being misconstrued by Christians.
“The Ga Dangme, therefore, have the right to manifest their custom and religion in their own home as do other people,” he said.
The Regional Minister said most Ga Dangme people were Christians by reason of their early contact with colonialists and asked the religious bodies not to interfere for a peaceful Homowo this year.
Numo Akwaa Mensah III, Chief Priest of the Ga State who performed the customary rites to usher in 2023 Homowo festival outlined some of the activities during the news conference.
He said the annual ban on drumming and noise making would start on Monday, May 15, and end on Thursday, June 15, 2023.
Numo Akwaa Mensah said the ban affects any form of noise making including the use of loudspeakers, drums during funerals, musical instruments within the Ga State during the period.
“All worship centres should confine their activities within their church premises, positioning of loudspeakers in mosque and roadside evangelism, use of megaphones, funeral rites and its related activities are also banned during this period.”
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse and the President of the Ga Traditional Council urged the public to take note and observe the rules regarding the ban on drumming and noise making to help maintain the peace, harmony, and security within the Ga State.
He counted on the cooperation of the various stakeholders in ensuring strict observation and compliance with the Ga custom, practices, and usages.
He urged the public to refrain from making derogatory remarks about the rites, custom, practices and beliefs of the Ga people.
Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, has instructed the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, or MMDAs, to abandon the customary workshops and seminars in favor of adopting real steps to guarantee sanitary urban growth.
He said it is regrettable that workshops come out with great recommendations which just end up on paper, while the real problems of sanitation, congestion and illegal encroachments continue to tear cities apart.
Mr. Quartey was speaking at the Accra City Study Uptake Workshop organized by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister urged MMDAs and other stakeholders to make their policies and recommendations work consistently.
The managing director of theElectricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has revealed that his organization intends to meter every power distribution transformer by the end of 2023 in a bid to combat power theft.
To help with metering and on-time completion, the MD stated that the contract had already been awarded.
Speaking in an interview on the Point of View on Citi TV, Mr. Mahama bemoaned the volumes of power lost to theft annually and said some residents actually factor power theft into their building plan and often get away with that, but that is soon coming to an end.
“It has come to our attention that some people even before building their houses, talk about ‘by-pass’ where they have one part of their electricity consumption pass through their meter and the other half goes through the main lines and I can assure you that we will find all those people and ensure that they correct it before the end of the year.
“We are going to meter every single distribution transformer and that will allow us to know the number of rooms connected to those transformers and the volumes of power supplied and when your meter is telling us otherwise, we will visit the area and calculate the average for all occupants to pay.”
The Electricity Company of Ghana began a massive disconnection exercise on March 20 in its bid to recover debts owed it.
Mr. Mahama indicated that the company is owed over GH¢5 billion from the month of September 2022 to February 2023. Most of its debtors are the variousMMDAs.
Minister of works and housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has asked metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) in flood-prone districts to take swift, legal action to demolish all unauthorised structures situated on watercourses before the rainy season starts.
The minister also urged the assemblies to desilt and prepare storm drains ahead of the rains to reduce the chances of flooding, especially in Accra.
He has specifically directed the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly to stop ongoing building construction works by private developers on the Kpeshie Lagoon Wetlands in Teshie, a suburb of Accra.
The Kpeshie Lagoon Wetlands, the Kordjor River, all in the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly, as well as La Dade-Kotopong where parts of the buffer is, were experiencing heavy construction by private developers, some of them filling the reserved buffer, which is meant to hold excess volumes of water flow during heavy rains.
Mr Asenso-Boakye gave the charge last Wednesday when he toured some of the storm drains and flood-prone areas in Accra, to assess at first hand the situation on the ground.
He was accompanied by the Director of the Ghana Hydrological Services Authority, Dr John Kissi, and some engineers from the ministry.
The areas visited included Ledzokuku-Krowor, La Dade Kotopon and Ngleshie Amanfrom municipalities.
The chief executive officers of the relevant assemblies and their technical teams joined the tour.
Indiscipline
Mr Asenso-Boakye noted that flooding in Accra was largely as a result of indiscipline on the part of the public who built on wetlands left as a buffer for streams, rivers and lagoons, as well as those who blocked watercourses, filled them up with stones and sand in order to build on them.
He explained that while the ministry was tasked with the conceptualisation and classification of policies and programmes for the systematic growth of the country’s infrastructure, it was the duty of local assemblies to maintain such works and ensure that they were fit for purpose.
He, therefore, tasked MMDAs to periodically desilt storm drains and maintain them for the rains.
“We are the cause of our own problem, and we will need some level of discipline. So, this morning, I am embarking on site visits to check on our drains to see how prepared we are ahead of the rainy season,” he said.
He said the free flow of storm water alone could prevent flooding in some parts of the city, but that the activities of some few individuals had blocked drains.
“That is why these areas flood during the rainy season,” he said.
Investments
So far, Mr Asenso- Boakye said, the government had spent GH¢450 million on mitigation mechanisms as part of efforts to fight perennial floods, especially in Accra where the results of flooding had sometimes been catastrophic.
He said the ministry was in talks with the Finance Ministry to make available some funds to continue with the dredging works to expand existing drains.
“We will do our part as a government, but we need all of you to send the message across because we can’t keep on doing some of these things and expect to develop as a country. So, all of us must come together and fight these things now,” the minister added.
Task force
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly, Rev. Solomon Kotey Nikoi, urged the minister to appeal to Cabinet to set up a task force that would address the development of reserved lands, including wetlands, into residential communities.
He said the task force could be similar to the one set up to fight galamsey, with a clear mandate and timelines.
Rev. Nikoi, who complained to the minister about his safety, explained that anytime he embarked on exercises to restrict such developments, he was threatened, and that had been a major concern for him and his team over the years.
“What we are seeing here is becoming a national issue, and we have to get to a place where we put together a task force like we are doing with the galamsey because these developers have weapons; they threatened me that they will kill me. It’s not easy. I can’t sleep. They asked me to find out how the previous Chief Executive of the assembly died,” Rev. Nikoi said.
He added that: “We come and stop them and sometimes we have to sleep here to prevent them. Last year, they nearly killed one of our guys.
“It’s a challenge, and all of us, including the media and security agencies, have to come together. Yesterday, we arrested some of the trucks. Sometimes they carry arms; we can’t fight them”.
A Labour Consultant Mr Austin Akufo Gamey has said that hiring freeze must be discriminatory.
He stated that no matter how difficult the situation is, the application cannot be total.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show with Alfred Oansey on TV3 Monday November 28, Mr Gamey said “It is obvious that no matter how hard the situation is they cannot do it flat-footed, they will have to do it in selective application.
“Teaching is teaching, you necessarily must have teachers in the classroom, nursing and all other health service providers and some emergency type of public service, first respondent if there is a disaster you have no choice therefore they have to be selectively.”
The Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Dr Yaw Baah has also said that net freeze on employment into the public sector is better than total embargo.
He explained that net freeze is when retirees are replaced when they exit. This, he said, allows productivity and efficiency to go on.
Total freeze on the other hand, he added, is when the retirees are not replaced neither are new employees recruited. That will be detrimental to productivity hence, they do not want that to happen.
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Daniel Opoku on the sidelines of a post budget analyses forum held by the TUC in Accra on Monday November 28, Dr Yaw Baah said “we still don’t have the details of the IMF conditionality but you will not be wrong if you think this is part of IMF conditions. Since 1965 when Ghana Government started going to IMF, employment freeze has always been part, in the last one that ended, employment freeze was one but in that case it was net.
“Net meant that if somebody retires you can replace the person. So the net freeze is what we need. But this one, we don’t know the details, whether it is the net freeze or total freeze.
“If it is a net freeze then it is like the previous one but if it is a total freeze it is another ball game all together. There are 644,000 people on the single spine. Let us assume without admitting that about 5 per cent of them retire yearly.
“If only five percent retire every year, we are talking now about over 30,000 people retiring and if the 30,000 people retire and they don’t replace them it will affect service delivery. If you reduce numbers by over 30,000 and they are not replaced then your effectiveness in service delivery will be affected.”
The Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta announced in the 2023 budget a freeze on employment into the civil and public service.
He also said there shall be no new government agencies established in 2023. He said these while presenting the budget in Parliament on Thursday November 23.
Mr Ofori-Atta said as a first step toward expenditure rationalisation, government has approved a number of directives which takes effect from January, 2023.
These are “All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) are directed to reduce fuel allocations to Political Appointees and heads of MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs by 50%. This directive applies to all methods of fuel allocation including coupons, electronic cards, chit system, and fuel depots. Accordingly, 50% of the previous years (2022) budget allocation for fuel shall be earmarked for official business pertaining to MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs;
“A ban on the use of V8s/V6s or its equivalent except for cross country travel. All
government vehicles would be registered with GV green number plates from
January 2023; Limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles. For the avoidance of doubt, purchase of new vehicles shall be restricted to locally assembled vehicles;
“Only essential official foreign travel across government including SOEs shall be
allowed. No official foreign travel shall be allowed for board members.”
The Finance Minister added “Accordingly, all government institutions should submit a travel plan for the year 2023 by mid-December of all expected travels to the Chief of Staff; As far as possible, meetings and workshops should be done within the official environment or government facilities; Government sponsored external training and Staff Development activities at the Office of the President, Ministries and SOEs must be put on hold for the 2023 financial year; Reduction of expenditure on appointments including salary freezes together with suspension of certain allowances like housing, utilities and clothing, etc.;
“A freeze on new tax waivers for foreign companies and review of tax exemptions for free zone, mining, oil and gas companies; A hiring freeze for civil and public servants, No new government agencies shall be established in 2023; There shall be no hampers for 2022; There shall be no printing of diaries, notepads, calendars and other promotional, merchandise by MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs for 2024; All non-critical project must be suspended for 2023 Financial year.”
The Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Dr Yaw Baah has said the congress does not have details of the government’s plan to freeze hiring next year as stated in the 2023 budget statement.
He said they do not know whether or not this forms part of the conditions the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is giving to Ghana.
Again, he said, they are unable to tell whether this is a net freeze or total.
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Daniel Opoku on the sidelines of a post budget analyses forum held by the TUC in Accra on Monday November 28, Dr Yaw Baah said “we still don’t have the details of the IMF conditionality but you will not be wrong if you think this is part of IMF conditions. Since 1965 when Ghana Government started going to IMF, employment freeze has always been part, in the last one that ended, employment freeze was one but in that case it was net.
“Net meant that if somebody retires you can replace the person. So the net freeze is what we need. But this one, we don’t know the details, whether it is the net freeze or total freeze.
“If it is a net freeze then it is like the previous one but if it is a total freeze it is another ball game all together. There are 644,000 people on the single spine. Let us assume without admitting that about 5 per cent of them retire yearly.
“If only five percent retire every year, we are talking now about over 30,000 people retiring and if the 30,000 people retire and they don’t replace them it will affect service delivery. If you reduce numbers by over 30,000 and they are not replaced then your effectiveness in service delivery will be affected.”
The Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta announced in the 2023 budget a freeze on employment into the civil and public service.
He also said there shall be no new government agencies established in 2023.
He said these while presenting the budget in Parliament on Thursday November 23.
Mr Ofori-Atta said as a first step toward expenditure rationalisation, government has approved a number of directives which takes effect from January, 2023.
These are “All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) are directed to reduce fuel allocations to Political Appointees and heads of MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs by 50%. This directive applies to all methods of fuel allocation including coupons, electronic cards, chit system, and fuel depots. Accordingly, 50% of the previous years (2022) budget allocation for fuel shall be earmarked for official business pertaining to MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs;
“A ban on the use of V8s/V6s or its equivalent except for cross country travel. All
government vehicles would be registered with GV green number plates from
January 2023; Limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles. For the avoidance of doubt, purchase of new vehicles shall be restricted to locally assembled vehicles;
“Only essential official foreign travel across government including SOEs shall be
allowed. No official foreign travel shall be allowed for board members.”
The Finance Minister added “Accordingly, all government institutions should submit a travel plan for the year 2023 by mid-December of all expected travels to the Chief of Staff; As far as possible, meetings and workshops should be done within the official environment or government facilities; Government sponsored external training and Staff Development activities at the Office of the President, Ministries and SOEs must be put on hold for the 2023 financial year; Reduction of expenditure on appointments including salary freezes together with suspension of certain allowances like housing, utilities and clothing, etc.;
“A freeze on new tax waivers for foreign companies and review of tax exemptions for free zone, mining, oil and gas companies; A hiring freeze for civil and public servants, No new government agencies shall be established in 2023; There shall be no hampers for 2022; There shall be no printing of diaries, notepads, calendars and other promotional, merchandise by MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs for 2024; All non-critical project must be suspended for 2023 Financial year.”
Public sector workers, Municipal Metropolitans and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have been asked not to give out hampers to their stakeholders this Christmas.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta announced this decision on Thursday while presenting the 2023 Budget in Parliament.
The decision forms part of the government’s measures to rationalise its expenditures in the wake of the prevailing economic hardship.
“There shall be no hampers for 2022,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Ofori-Atta further announced the ban on the printing of diaries, notepads and calendars by MMDAs and SOEs from 2024.
“There shall be no printing of diaries, notepads, calendars and other promotional merchandise by MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs for 2024,” he added.
“All non-critical projects must be suspended for the 2023 financial year.”
The Minister said the move is geared towards expenditure rationalisation, in the wake of the economic woes.
In addition to the reduction in expenditure, MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs have been directed to reduce fuel allocations by 50% to government appointees.
“All MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs are directed to reduce fuel allocations to Political Appointees and heads of MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs by 50%. This directive applies to all methods of fuel allocation including coupons, electronic cards, chit systems, and fuel depots. Accordingly, 50% of the previous year’s (2022) budget allocation for fuel shall be earmarked for official business pertaining to MDAs, MMDAs, and SOEs,” he directed.
A Deputy Ranking Member on Finance Committee in Parliament, Isaac Adongo has taken a dig at the government, following its announcement on cut in hampers, diaries and notepads usually printed by Municipal Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and State Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
Mr. Adongo stated that the country’s problems are way bigger than the cut in these frivolous items announced by the Finance Minister in the 2023 budget statement, on November 24, 2022.
He said the government failed to announce measures put in place to cushion Ghanaians against the hardships they are faced with.
“Ghana’s problems are not about cut in diaries and note pads printing, an economy where people’s businesses are collapsing, an economy where people are struggling to keep their families together. You will have a government that says that I will still put my hands in your pockets, and take twice as I took in 2022, even if your businesses are dying, I don’t care… He came and announced cut in diaries, notepads, and hampers, is the problem of our economy about diaries and hampers?,” he asked on Eyewitness News.
He wondered why the government in its 2023 budget refused to cut down on expenditure, which has taken a toll on the ailing economy.
The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central Constituency in the Upper East Region, fumed on the Eyewitness News, “ordinarily, you would have expected that the government will reduce expenditures, so that the little that it raises, it will be able to manage and get you out of your difficulty.
He stressed, “I have never seen this group of people before, it’s quite clear why the Finance Minister doesn’t want to move. I can’t see any economy in trouble that doubles its expenditure. When we ask you if you are going to cut down on expenditure, you keep talking about diaries, how do diaries and hampers solve our problems?”.
2023 Budget
Presenting the budget, the Finance Minister said, “Mr. Speaker, grants to other government units are estimated at GH¢30,079 million, representing 3.8% of GDP. Mr. Speaker, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) is projected at GH¢27.694 million representing 3.5% of GDP. Mr. Speaker, Other Expenditure, mainly comprising Energy Sector Levies (ESL) transfers and Energy Sector Payment Shortfalls is estimated at GH¢26,739 million”.
“Total Revenue and Grants is projected at GH¢143,956 million (18.0% of GDP) and is underpinned by permanent revenue measures – largely Tax revenue measures – amounting to 1.35 percent of GDP as outlined in the revenue measures. Mr. Speaker, Total Expenditure (including clearance of Arrears) is projected at GH¢205,431 million (25.6% of GDP). This estimate shows a contraction of 0.3 percentage points of GDP in primary expenditures (commitment basis) compared to the projected out turn in 2022 and a demonstration of Government’s resolve to consolidate its public finances,” Mr. Ofori-Atta stated in the 2023 budget.
“Mr. Speaker, Compensation of Employees is projected at GH¢44,990 million (5.6% of GDP). Mr. Speaker, Use of Goods and Services is also projected at GH¢8,048 million (1.0% of GDP). Mr. Speaker, Interest Payment is projected at GH¢52,550 million (6.6% of GDP),” the budget added.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has challenged heads of public and private institutions to explore and implement innovative ways to complement Government’s job creation efforts across the country.
Speaking at Goaso in the Ahafo Region on Wednesday, 23rd November, 2022 Dr Bawumia said the youth make up a large proportion of Ghana’s population, and it is important that conscious efforts are made to meet their employment aspirations.
The Vice President made the call at the launch of the first region-led skills development and employment creation intervention, the Ahafo Youth Skills Development and Job Creation Initiative, designed and implemented by the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council led by Hon George Yaw Boakye, Regional Minister, in collaboration with the private sector.
The programme is designed to train 1,200 youth drawn from all six districts in the region in trades such as Welding, Vulcanizing, General Spraying, ICT, Fashion Designing, Building Construction, Auto Mechanics (Fitting), General Electrical (Auto and Civil), Carpentry and Joinery, Hairdressing, Painting and Decoration.
In addition, each Municipal/District Coordinating Council received a cheque of Ghs25,000 to cater for the training of the youth, with a monitoring team constituted to ensure the trainees go through the appropriate training.
Handing over welding machines, hair dryers, sewing machines, Aluminium ovens, sets of tools (auto mechanics, carpentry, electricals, pedicure, barbering etc), trowels, mallets and other tools to the various Assemblies, Vice President Bawumia noted that Ghana’s youth as a proportion of the total population is growing at a rapid pace.
“The recent census conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service pegs our current youth population at 38.2%. On the positive side it means Ghana has an abundance of human resource necessary to drive our economic growth and that we are not in danger of facing shortage of skilled labour.
“This however means we are under immense pressure to ensure that sustainable employment opportunities are created for the youth in order to keep them productive and mitigate the possible security threats posed by an idle youth population.
“It is for this reason that I am excited to join you this afternoon as we launch the Ahafo Youth Skills Development and Employment creation initiative.
“If I am not mistaken, Nana Chair, this is the first regional-led skills development and employment creation intervention and I convey my heartfelt congratulations to the RCC, participating MMDAs and to especially our private sector partners such as Newmont Ghana Gold Company Limited, Golden Team Mining Company and Supremo Wood Processing Company Limited, who have been great collaborators.”
Dr Bawumia urged the programme implementers to “inculcate entrepreneurship and soft skills training into the curriculum since trainees will be given the much needed start-up capital to set up their enterprises. Efforts must also be made to connect the beneficiaries to the market to encourage patronage of their services.”
Nana Kwasi Bosomprah I, President and Omanhene of the Goaso Traditional Council who was Chairman for the occasion, urged the trainees and the Assemblies to imbibe the culture of maintenance, pointing out that the outcome of this first cohort will largely determine the future of the programme.
“If you take your training seriously, and you maintain these nice, brand new equipment that you are getting today, the Minister and the people who support him and the RCC will help to train your younger brothers and sisters in future,” he added.
Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah has called for a ban on the acquisition of licenses by small-scale miners in the country. This, he said, will promote sanity in the country.
His Lordship, Justice Baffoe-Bonney, who relayed the message on behalf of the Chief Justice, called for a complete stop to the issuance of licenses to small-scale mining companies. He urged licensed surveyors to master digitalization and adapt to changing times to remain relevant in the Association.
The Chief Justice noted some “lazy” licensed surveyors contribute to the rising land litigation issues the country is dealing with.
According to him, these roadside surveyors, who work without ethical standards, only sign plans for paltry amounts without thinking about the adverse effects of their actions.
“I believe that for now, we should stop issuing licenses either for small-scale legitimate mining companies. It is difficult to know who is a legitimate miner and who is a “galamseyer”. Apart from the Obuasi, Prestea, the recognized Gold miners, for now, everybody should be banned so that we can have some sanity”.
He added that the oath sworn by some licensed surveyors had become mere rhetoric.
Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah said this at the 4th Seminar and Annual General Meeting of Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana.
“Permit me to talk about the ethical standards that we are fast losing out on some licensed surveyors. The oath sword and same imprinted on plans before signing has remained mere rhetoric. I am very convinced, and it is my considered view that, if licensed surveyors appraise themselves with all the processes in the field, they shall append their signatures on true work done on the ground.
His Lordship Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah also called for a strong collaboration between LiSAG and the judiciary to ensure a better working relationship.
“I will call on LiSAG to deepen their collaboration with the judiciary. I know you have begun some engagements, and I urge you to design capacity-building workshops to train judges on the rudiments of your practice and the changing phase you so espouse.
“The changing phase also means a new way of working with the judiciary to ensure sanity in land registration since the cadastral plan is one of the foremost documents to be relied on for the transactions.
“We are ready to assign some of the licensed surveyors to our courts so that they can assist the judges understand the plans or maps before hearing and, in some cases, conduct an independent survey for contesting parties.”
President of The License Surveyors Association of Ghana, LISAG, Samuel Larbi Darko, has cautioned land buyers in seeking the services of unlicensed individuals who pose as professional surveyors in the demarcation of lands and property. According to him, background checks from the lands commission or the License Association should be made on surveyors before any contract is made.
This he said will ensure the protection of a contractor in case of a breach of law. He bemoaned the high cost of instrumentation and duties and called on government to support in financing of the Association.
The event was held on the theme: “The Changing Phase of Cadastral Surveying for Effective Land Management”.
Mr Larbi-Darko said before one engaged a surveyor to map out a land, the individual needed to ensure that the surveyor was licensed and registered to do a professional job.
He stressed that that had become necessary due to the activities of “quack’ and unregistered surveyors in the system, whose unprofessional conduct was affecting the reputation and integrity of the profession.
The Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, LISAG, was initially thought of to address the welfare needs of its members. The Association came to being formally on the 14th of September, 2005, during a meeting at the headquarters of the then survey department in Accra. The licensed surveyor’s Association of Ghana has gone through a number of phases in its development as an Association.
It has gained a lot of recognition due to its public position on issues of land management and its collaboration with the Land Commission. The Association, which started off as a welfare body for its members, has now morphed into an Association that is championing the national agenda.
The Association has not had a change of leadership since its inception and only organized its first-ever elections at the last Annual General Meeting held in October 2021. Numbers have since grown to almost two hundred members, and with an innovative policy that is helping the course of its members.
The Vice President of the international federation of surveys, Kwame Tenadu Snr, charged members of the Association to show commitment in the execution of their duties to make the association work. He advised them to prioritize digitalization to ensure efficiency in their duties.
The head of decentralized services/ office of the local government services, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, indicated that the activities of unqualified individuals posing as Licensed surveyors are negatively affecting land mapping in the various districts of the country. He charged stakeholders in the Association to be vigilant and report defaulters to face the full rigours of the law.
He also urged the Association to collaborate with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure proper land demarcation at the local level.
“The activities of unqualified individuals have negatively affected the mapping processes within the districts. I wish to therefore charge all stakeholders to look out for such persons in an effort for them to face the full rigours of the law. I am told that some people get away with contentious plans through the connivance of professional licensed surveyors. This attitude is not professional. I, therefore, call on licensed surveyors not to append signatures on any fraudulent plans. Let us rise to a higher calling and ensure the highest ethical standard”.
He said land management was a major challenge the MMDAs faced, hence the need to collaborate with them to ensure proper land mapping and usage.
Licensed Surveyors are a body of authorized Surveyors poised to undertake the demarcation and survey of land for the preparation of cadastral plans on behalf of the Director Survey and mapping division of the Lands Commission.
The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry has issued a directive for owners, users, or operators of excavators across the country to get them registered with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
This new directive which is in line with section 100 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), is to help fight the menace of illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’ and to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the provisions of L.I. 2404.
It was contained in a press statement signed by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor dated 24th October, 2022.
The release indicated that the registration exercise is expected to end across the country on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.
“All owners, operators and/or users of excavators in the country shall, within seven days of this notice, excluding weekends and statutory holidays, register their excavators with the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly (MMDA) with jurisdiction over the area where the excavator is located,” portions of the release stated.
According to the release, during the registration, owners, operators or users of the excavators shall “specify the purpose for which the excavator is being used or is to be used and the area where the excavator is being used or will be used.”
MMDAs are also required, as part of the registration, to record the following:
the name and particulars of the owner of the excavator;
the date the excavator was brought into the country;
the registration number of the excavator;
the chassis number of the excavator;
the purposes for which the excavator was brought into the country;
the area where the excavator is expected to be used;
the name and particulars of the current operator and/or user of the excavator; and
any other particulars the MMDA may deem necessary;
According to the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, any excavator not registered in accordance with this directive, whether found at a mining site or any other operational site or elsewhere, shall be seized and the necessary legal steps taken to confiscate same to the State.
“Notice is hereby given to the general public, and particularly owners, operators and/or users of excavators, as well as all MMDAs to ensure strict compliance with these directives,” it added.
Read the full statement below:
24th October, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL MINING: REGISTRATION OF ALL EXCAVATORS WITH METROPOLITAN, MUNICIPAL AND DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WHEREAS illegal mining activities, popularly known as Galamsey, continue to pose a threat to our natural environment, particularly water bodies and forests;
WHEREAS following the National Consultative Dialogue, held on 14th and 15th of April, 2021, it was resolved by paragraph 13 of the Communique issued after the Conference, that “the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources will take appropriate steps, legislative and/or executive action, as the case may be, to give effect to the set of measures arising from this Dialogue and approved by government”;
WHEREAS most of the devastation to water bodies and forests are caused by excavators used in illegal mining activities and the floating platform popularly referred to as “Changfang”; WHEREAS Government has placed a ban on the manufacture, sale, use and/or dealings in the floating platform known as “Changfang”;
WHEREAS by the Minerals and Mining (Mineral Operations – Tracking of Earthmoving and Mining Equipment) Regulations, 2020 (L.I. 2404), the Minerals Commission is empowered to register and track all earthmoving and mining equipment used in mining operations; and
WHEREAS Government deems it expedient to register all excavators in the country to be able to determine those used for mining operations, for the purposes of L.I. 2404,
NOW THEREFORE in exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister responsible for Mines by section 100(1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), and to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the provisions of L.I. 2404, the following directives are issued:
All owners, operators and/or users of excavators in the country shall, within seven days of this notice, excluding weekends and statutory holidays, register their excavators with the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly (MMDA) with jurisdiction over the area where the excavator is located;
For the avoidance of doubt, the deadline for the registration of all excavators in the country is by close of business on Wednesday, 2nd November, 2022;
An owner, operator and/or user of an excavator shall, at the time of registration, specify the purpose for which the excavator is being used or to be used and the area where the excavator is being used or will be used, as the case may be;
MMDAs shall, as part of the registration, record the following:
the name and particulars of the owner of the excavator; the date the excavator was brought into the country; the registration number of the excavator; the chassis number of the excavator; the purposes for which the excavator was brought into the country; the area where the excavator is expected to be used; the name and particulars of the current operator and/or user of the excavator; and any other particulars the MMDA may deem necessary;
Any excavator not registered in accordance with this directive, whether found at a mining site or any other operational site or elsewhere, shall be seized and the necessary legal steps taken to confiscate same to the State;
The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, has been formally notified of these measures, and has directed all MMDAs to ensure strict compliance with same;
Notice is hereby given to the general public, and particularly owners, operators and/or users of excavators, as well as all MMDAs to ensure strict compliance with these directives;
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources wishes to reassure the general public that it will continue to take the necessary measures to protect our natural environment, particularly, water bodies, forests and lands, in a transparent and sustainable manner, anchored on integrity.
The Auditor-General says 27 Ministries Department and Agencies (MDA) and 218 Metropolitan Municipal District Assemblies (MMDA) have exceeded their approved budget by GHS10.5 billion for the year 2021.
The overrun expenses of the 245 public entities were made on goods and services, other expenditure, compensation of employees, capital expenditures, social benefits and subsidy.
This, according to the Auditor General, contravenes the Appropriation Act, 2021 (Act 1069) which sets budget limits within which MDAs and MMDAs are required to keep their expenditure to prevent overrun of their appropriation and the revised budget, if any.
In its annual audit report on the Public Accounts of Ghana for the year ended December 31, 2021, the Auditor General indicated that MDAs exceeded their budget by GHS10.32 billion while MMDA exceeded by GHS191.8 million.
It has therefore advised the Controller and Accountant General (CAG) to regularly monitor the actual expenditure of covered entities against their approved budget to check potential overruns.
“The recurring budget overruns do not ensure effective and efficient budgetary control,†the report highlighted.
According to the report, the management of CAG in its response stated that the failure of all covered entities to be fully integrated and deploy the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) meant that the Department of CAG collates and validates financial data processed outside the GIFMIS.
It further noted that it does not strictly enforce ex-anti budgetary control for direct formalisation of all expenditures processed outside the GIFMIS due to ensuring all actual expenditure reported by the individual covered entities are fully accounted for in the national account.
As such, expenditure processed outside the GIFMIS are directly journalised on the GIFMIS system for inclusion in the accounts, management explained.
“To the extent that, these expenditures did not have the original budget on the GIFMIS, the effect could be the overrun being reported by audit, where actual expenditure is captured on the GIFMIS ex-post via journal without the corresponding budget.
“Also, this could be attributed to actual expenditure incurred by the covered entity from cash balances brought forward from previous period in respect of the funds i.e., IGF, Donor Funds and Statutory Funds without their original budget.†the report read.
The campaign for the election of MMDCEs was truncated in 2019, with President Akufo-Addo calling for broader consultations and consensus.
The campaign was characterised by sharp disagreements over whether the local Executives should be elected along partisan or non-partisan lines.
But the Local Government survey findings show that seven out of every 10 Ghanaians would prefer a direct election of the local Executives; and that, the preference for a non-partisan election is on a steady rise.
Majority of Ghanaians, according to the findings, believe that MMDAs have performed very or fairly badly in the past five years.
The acting Controller and Accountant General (CAGD) has warned bodies that it supervises to stick to the usage of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) during transactions, graphic.com.gh reports.
GIFMIS was introduced by the government to facilitate budget preparation and execution, accounting and financial reporting, cash and assets management as well as human resource and payroll management.
Acting Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, has observed that some MDAs and MMDAs have rather ignored the usage when performing their financial transactions.
This, he explains, makes it difficult to implement the public financial management being pursued by the government.
“I wish to sound a word of caution…to all Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs, MMDAs) who have failed to usefully, the GIFMIS platform to process all financial transactions to desist from this act,†he warned.
He added that his outfit, “will be stern on all MDAs and MMDAs who flout this directiveâ€.
Mr Kwaning-Bosompem gave the warning when he joined the staff of the CAGD for their 2020 annual thanksgiving service and festival of nine lessons and carols in Accra on Wednesday.
He said the CAGD has been committed to supporting the implementation of public financial management systems geared towards improving transparency and fiscal discipline in the public sector.
The Savannah Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Chief Fire Officer Kwasi Baafour Awuah, has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to constitute District Fire Service Committees to help deal with fire-related disasters.
He said sections 15 and 16 of the GNFS Act 537 required MMDAs to form fire committees to deal with fire-related disasters and environmental issues.
Mr Awuah, who said this in an interview at Bole, stated that Municipal and District Assemblies in the Savannah Region were yet to form the committees.
He urged the Assemblies in the Region to provide GNFS with funds to support fire volunteers to help curb bush-fires.
The Assistant Chief Fire Officer said, that bush fires which were destructive to the environment and human lives, could be stopped if the appropriate authorities supported the GNFS.
“We have been talking about it but people seem not to realise that climate change is not just happening because the climate just wants to change, but human action is what is inducing climate change,†Mr Daniel Banuoku, Deputy Executive Director, Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD) said.
He expressed worry that northern Ghana was at the peril of all development challenges, including health, nutrition and poverty.
He emphasised the need for support to help stop the menace and urged traditional authorities to sensitize the communities on the effects of bush fires.
“I believe that when the Traditional Authorities and community people decide to take action and set an example, arrest somebody and put the person behind bars for burning the bush, people will take this matter much more seriously.
“We need to intensify the education to appeal to the hearts of the people to let them see the practical impact of climate change and that it is as a result of our actions that we are getting these results to ourselves,†Mr Bnuoku stated.
The Environmental Activist said they would work with Traditional Authorities, the media and other stakeholders to deepen the sensitisation on the effects of bush burning and to get the people to take the needed action at the community level to stop the practice.
Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive has called for the incorporation of Local Economic Development (LED) in the guidelines used in assessing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
He said this would task the MMDAs to prioritise their programmes and activities to create jobs by building on the comparative advantages and the unique characteristics of their localities.
Mr Sowah made the call when he presented the 2021 – 2024 Composite Budget of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly at the launch of the Annual Regional Budget hearing of the MMDAs in Accra.
It was organised by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council.
The Annual Regional Budget hearing was instituted in 2011 and forms part of the fiscal decentralization reforms to provide an opportunity for the MMDAs to review their performance and discuss priority programmes and projects in the coming year within the national framework.
Mr Sowah expressed concern about the inability to properly situate the LED within the functions of the assemblies, which formed part of the criteria used in the division of the local authority into smaller jurisdictions.
“We are not too sure where the Ministry of Local Government wants to situate the LED within the functions of the assemblies. There are three main criteria used for the creation of assemblies but the main element of economic viability is not considered as a priority, hence, the emphasis on the issue,” he said.
He said while the LED had proven to be an attractive strategy for growth, very little attention had been devoted to the policy and practice in Ghana.
Mr Ken Ofori Atta, the Minister of Finance in a speech read on his behalf urged the MMDAs to leverage on their potentials to increase Internally Generated Funds (IGF) since next year would be equally difficult.
He entreated them to strictly adhere to the use of the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information (GIFMIS) in preparing their budgets as contained in the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act 2016, Act 912 regardless of the sources of revenue to avoid sanctions.
“It has come to my attention that some key officials involved in financial management have not been using the GIFMIS for the processing of financial transactions, accounting, and reporting required… Let me strongly caution MMDCEs to desist from procuring, use of systems and software not approved by relevant institutions as required by law,” Mr Ofori Atta cautioned.
He also charged the Assemblies to adopt the use of technology to maximise their revenue while calling on the MMDCEs to personally lead the crusade to improve internal revenue generation.
Mr Ishmael Ashitey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister implored the MMDAs and their budget committees to ensure that their 2021 Composite Budget allocates adequate funds for local economic development, social services, infrastructure delivery, and management as well as environmental and sanitation management.
He directed the assemblies to use the Internally Generated Funds Strategy and Reference Guide issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development as a reference point in the mapping out of IGF mobilisation strategies.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) , Hajia Alima Mahama, has given a firm assurance that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government will ensure the partisan election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in its second term in office.
She said when re-elected, the NPP government would activate a process for consensus building towards the amendment of certain constitutional provisions to pave way for MMDCEs to be elected on partisan basis.
The minister stated this at a Meet- the-Press series held in Accra last Friday at which she outlined the achievements of the Local Government Ministry over the past three and a half years.
Manifesto promise
The election of MMDCEs was one of the manifesto promises made by the NPP in the run-up to the 2016 general election.
Upon assumption of power, the government activated processes to keep that promise by ensuring the review of some articles in the 1992 Constitution to pave way for the MMDCEs to be elected.
The articles that were amended were Article 243 (1) on the appointment of MMDCEs by the President and Article 55 (3), which prohibits the involvement of political parties in district level elections.
The process, however, halted after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo withdrew the bill from Parliament, citing lack of consensus from Ghanaians.
Determined to see through the election of the MMDCEs, the NPP made a fresh promise in its 2020 manifesto that was launched on August 23 to ensure that the Chief Executives of the MMDAs were elected on partisan basis.
Commitment
Throwing more light on that promise, she said the President had demonstrated commitment to fulfilling that promise by clearly putting out a roadmap that saw the referendum for Amendment of Article 55(3) towards the election of MMDCEs:
“A Roadmap to guide the Referendum process for the election of MMDCEs was developed, and following Cabinet approval, stakeholder consultations and sensitisation were conducted across the country and the processes for amendment of relevant provisions of the Constitution (Articles 55(3) and 243) commenced,†she said.
Capacity building
The minister said the government was committed to ensuring popular participation in local democracy which was why it created 44 new municipal and district assemblies and elevated 32 districts to municipal status.
She added that the government had completed 23 office accommodation buildings commenced in April, 2016 for selected MMDAs by December 2017 and constructed 72 administration and assembly blocks.
Apart from the capital projects, the minister said the MLGRD ministry had collaborated with the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) to conduct a National Orientation and Training Programme (NOTP) for the newly elected and appointed assembly members.
She said 9,079 new assembly members benefitted from the programme.
“Pursuant to Section 18 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), a new Model Standing Orders for MMDAs has been developed,†she said, adding that those initiatives had improved the knowledge base of the assembly members.
The Chiefs of Lolobi and Akpafu traditional areas have expressed concerns over reports that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) intends to create a new district for Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) in the Oti Region.
A statement, signed by Nana Akoto Masakyi III, Paramount Chief of Lolobi Traditional Area and Nana Kofi Adu II, Divisional Chief of Akpafu Traditional Area and the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) of both Traditional Areas, said they were in court over their integration into the Oti Region, therefore, the recent letter by the Local Government Minister to the Volta and Oti Regional Ministers on the proposed District was unacceptable.
The statement, which follows a Ghana News Agency report on the creation of the District, said Lolobi and Akpafu Traditional Areas were not part of the traditional areas that petitioned the Justice Brobbey Commission to be considered as part of the Oti Region; unlike the Santrokofi and Likpe traditional areas.
The statement said, “Lolobi and Akpafu people have never associated with all petitions for a new region and actively exercised the duty of care to alert all agitators in that regard to take cognisance and respect our desire to be exempt.â€
It said the Lolobi and Akpafu traditional areas had been and would continue to be part of the Hohoe Municipal Assembly and were, therefore, seeking constitutional and judicial order to gain recognition as such.
“We have visibly strengthened our bonds with the other seven traditional areas under the Hohoe Municipality, where we are deeply cherished and at peace,†the statement added.
It said when they were erroneously associated with the Oti Region referendum, they promptly reached out to the Electoral Commission to raise objection to their inclusion, “practically boycotted the vote and, after the referendum, resorted to law to remedy the persistent trampling on our rights and freedoms in a Constitutional democracyâ€.
Meanwhile, the MLGRD has said that it is still in consultation with the chiefs of the respective areas over the creation of the District, and the location of its capital.
The creation of the constituency will, however, start with an Executive Instrument from the President, following which the Local Government Minister will send a Legislative Instrument to Parliament, which would have to stay in the House for 21 sitting days.
The Electoral Commission would create the Constituency when these conditions are satisfied.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to initiate a process to ensure that Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe in the Oti Region are joined into a district.
The four communities are currently a part of the Jasikan District but following the creation of the Oti Region, President Akufo-Addo wants them to have their own local government status.
These were contained in a letter written by the sector minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, to the Oti Region Minister, Kwesi Owusu Yeboah, and copied his Volta Region counterpart, Dr Archibald Letsa.
“I hereby give notice that H.E the President has directed the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to initiate the process to ensure that these communities (SALL) have their own local government status by the creation of a new District before the end of the year 2020,†Hajia Alima wrote on Monday, August 3, 2020.
“The inhabitants are therefore advised to participate actively in the voter registration exercise.â€
Dr Nana Ato Authur, Head of the Local Government Service (LGS) has asked staff of Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to take their annual leave to avoid overcrowding in their various offices.
A statement signed by Dr Ato Arthur and copied to the Ghana News Agency said: “the LGS has noted with concern the overcrowded nature of some of its offices in the RCCs and MMDAs, which may breach the Ghana Health Service directives on keeping at least (2) metres apart and social distancing.”
It therefore advised staff of the RCCs and MMDAs to take their annual leave to reduce overcrowding in the various offices to prevent the spread of the CORONA VIRUS (COVID-19).
Dr Ato Arthur according to the statement tasked RCCs and MMDAs to adopt flexible working practices to prevent the spread of the (COVID-19).
He recommended a flexible shift system, Time off in Lieu, Encourage staff to take their annual leave and working from home if possible as some of the practices.
“These flexible working practices should be done without compromising the quality of work output.”
The statement said Chief Directors/Regional Coordinating Directors and Directors who adopted any of these flexible working practices to take the necessary steps to ensure that efficient and effective systems and processes were put in place to comprise service delivery at the various levels.
The statement said the COVID-19 pandemic globally continues to pose a threat to the health and safety of Ghanaians and as at Wednesday, 25th March, 2020, Ghana’s number of confirmed cases had increased to 68 with three deaths as announced by the Minister of Health, Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.
The statement said the current development required that additional precautionary measures were put in place to ensure the health and safety of staff and stakeholders.
“In view of the above, all RCCs and MMDAs are to suspend the Biometric Electronic Clocking System till further notice and are encouraged to adhere to the precautionary measures stated by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to regular and thorough washing of hands with soap under running water and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, Avoid shaking hands, Keep a distance of at least two meters from a person with fever, cough, sneezing and difficulty in breathing.”
The statement according to the MoH measures also advised all to be physically active, drink plenty of water, eat healthy, avoid stress and have enough sleep, Stay home if they feel unwell with symptoms of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing and call : 0509497700, 0558439868.
It said Adherence to the above directives is key to the safety of staff.
The Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation (GFD) in the Bono region has given 9 out of the 11 MMDAs in the region a three-week ultimatum to interdict persons appointed by the MMDAs to represent the GFD as ordered by the Minister of Local Government, Hajiah Alima Mahama.
At a press conference to petition President Akufo-Addo and the Minister for Local Government, they indicated that those selected to represent the GFDs do not know anything about FWD hence the need for the government to intervene.
Addressing the media in Sunyani to channel their displeasure, the Vice President of the Bono regional chapter of the GFD, Miss Sirina Mahamadu, said the Local Government and Rural Development gave the directive on how 30 percent government appointees to the MMDAs will be selected.
According to her, the document signed by the Minister for the Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama, made it clear that MMDAs should liaise with or consult the GFD in identifying such persons with disability to represent the interest of PWDs in the various MMDAs in the country.
She said despite the order from the Minister, 3 out of the 11 MMDAs in the Bono region complied, a situation she described as worrying.
“The MMDAs went ahead to select persons who do not have any idea of the GFD while some were accident victims.â€
With the guidelines from the minister which they are not happy about, Miss Sirina revealed that Jaman North, Berekum East and Wenchi Municipal are the three whose assemblies complied with the guidelines.
Sirina Mahamadu then called on the President, Akufo-Addo and Minister for Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama to intervene or else they will proceed to court whiles appealing to the President to award three DCEs who appointed the GFDs representatives.
“We are petitioning the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, the Local Government Minister Hajia Alima Mahama to intervene else we are giving the MMDAs three weeks from now to interdict those appointed to represent the GFDs in their districts or we will take them to court.â€
