30% of Gov’t Appointees into the assembly must be given to the right caliber of people-CBOs demands

Community Base Organizations (CBOs) in nineteen districts of the northern region have called for depoliticizations of the district assembly elections in Ghana. The CBOs are also calling for political parties in the region to reverse the practice which is becoming a norm where only men are occupying chairmanship positions of the parties.
The trend according to the CBOs poses serious threat to the local governance process in country and also an attempt to sidelined 51 percent off Ghanaian populations (the women). The over seventy six representatives CBOs has therefore issued a six point communiqué demanding that the practice change.
Members from Community Based Organizations Local Organization and Mobilization (CBO-LOM) of the Ghana Developing Communities Associations who attended a three-day annual festival on the theme “Over two decades of decentralization in Ghana prospects and challenges” resolved that in the interest of promoting decentralization in Ghana, the following issues should be given the needed attention.
The six point communiqué signed by Mariama Yakubu (CBO Regional Chairperson) and Gmabi Alaika Philip (Sub-Component Manager) said women inclusion in governance was very crucial and there is the need for the promotion of women participation and representation at the Metropolitan/Municipal/Districts Assemblies, 80% of 30% Government Appointees slot should be given to women.
This, the communiqué believe would enhance women representation and participation which is currently inadequate in the assemblies. The communiqué also want Party structures including election process from ward level to national be friendly to women.
The communiqué said government, political parties and other collaborators must work to ensure that fertile grounds are created for women participation at all levels of the society.
The communiqué is of the view that there is still confusion among community members and their leaders on the position of woman in terms of leadership.
It mentioned cultural activities still see women to be providing support instead of leading. This, the communiqué observe must be reverted and Traditional Authorities as well as community member should accept women as partners in development and beyond.
The communiqué established that there is partisanship in assemblies with DCEs favouring political party allies in the Assemblies with contracts and other favours.
The election of right calibre into the assembly should be adhered to in order to avoid square purges being put in round holes.
That to ensure that MMDAs are people owned and not by political party leaders, the position of MMDCE must be made elective to ensure that MMDAs are answerable and accountable to the people.
The 30% of Government Appointees into the assembly must be given to the right caliber of people as stipulated by Act 462 it demanded. ’’We the participants would like to add that consideration should be given to technocrats whose expertise can inure to the benefit of the MMDAs’’ the communiqué.
The Director Local Government Institute Studies in Tamale, Dr Richard Kambootah in a key note address said, the time has come for assemblies to involve the citizenry in the planning process and not seem to be imposing developmental on them title decentralization in Ghana’’ over two decades of decentralization; prospects and challenges.
Mr Kambootah also expressed concern of what called conflicts between Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, Presiding Members and Members of Parliament who he said are run shoulders over each to the detriment of citizenry. He explained that, in most cases in the assemblies, the PM eyes MCE or DCE position, the MCE or DCE also want to be MP.
On the partisan nature of district assembly elections, Mr Kambootah said the elections have been politicized because the DCE or MCE is a political head of the assembly. The ILGS director noted that the least performing area in the local governance in the country was participation and accountability and call on the assemblies to involved the citizenry in their deliberations.
He was however optimistic that, with the election of MMDCEs as proposed by many Ghanaians and some civil society organizations, citizens can hold the MMDCEs accountable.

By; Ibrahim Dikunyalala/zaaradio.com