Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana

Adverts

GENERAL

Help remove drawbacks against decentralization - Ato Arthur urges MMDCDs

Head of the Local Government Services, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur has called on regional/district coordinating directors across the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to offer quality leadership to support government remove bottlenecks and drawbacks that hinder effective decentralization.

Date Created : 11/24/2017 5:44:09 AM : Story Author : Shiri

According to him, coordinating director must make the Assemblies and structures below them more democratic in support, and help tackle issues such as poor revenue generation, sanitation, mismanagement of scarce resources, disregard for guidelines, intolerance of the views of Assembly members and other stakeholders which are known to have afflicted the local government system.

Dr. Arthur who was addressing the 2017 coordinating Directors conference in Sunyani thus noted that, it is in view of this that the theme for the conference "Transforming Leadership in the Local Government Service: managing Local Resources for Sustainable Development" is very relevant.

He reminded them of the need to work towards the main pillars of his administration including;

• Strengthening of the Planning Units of RCCs and MMDAs for gathering and use of data for informed decision making

• Encouraging MMDAs to explore the use of ICT to improve revenue mobilization

• Capacity building of staff of MMDAs

• Encouraging Professionalism in the LGS

• Sanitation Improvement, and

• Encouraging twinning of MMDAs to learn/share best practices

According to him, his outfit is proposing an award scheme to recognize effective delivery in innovation and creativity especially along the six thematic areas as mentioned above; and assured that outstanding performance will be commensurately rewarded.

He indicated that, a team of experts would be tasked to evaluate each MMDA on any area they want to work out to achieve innovation and improvement in their output.

"Our approach here is meant to give awards to innovative projects that positively impact public services delivery, good governance and the well-being of local citizens".

However, for a start, the competition will cover

• IGF and Innovation

• Sanitation and Innovation

• Work place improvement and Innovation

• Local Economic Development and Innovation

“In all these, our goal is towards the utilization of technology within the local government service and the behavior and rules of conduct to guide local government staff as public servants”.

He charged all staff especially coordinating directors to be champions and standard bearers of professionalism, adding, their actions and inactions as well as approach and attitude to work must show high standards of professionalism.

He cautioned the coordinating directors against running a “one man show” administration, instead they should harmonize the potentials of all staff to meet the aspirations of the people.