Local Governance Expert, Dr. Frederick Oduro, has described the government’s decision to allocate GH¢100 million for the payment of monthly allowances to assembly members as a transformative move for local governance in Ghana.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Dr. Oduro expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, highlighting its potential to address long-standing financial struggles faced by many assemblies.
“I’m very excited. I’m excited about that arrangement because it remains a very difficult area in local government. A number of assemblies do not have enough resources. We’ve created assemblies by law, and we should have been looking at their economic viability, but most assemblies are not economically viable,” he stated.
He pointed out that due to financial constraints, many assemblies struggle to function effectively, with some even unable to hold mandatory district and regional meetings.
“Because of this challenge, these assemblies can hardly perform their function. Most district and regional assembly meetings cannot be held as required by law. The assemblies have lost out on their funds and are not able to operate as expected,” he explained.
Dr. Oduro believes the government’s intervention will provide much-needed relief, enabling assemblies to function more efficiently.
“The coming on board of central government to support the payment of allowances can go a very long way to ensure that the assemblies can conduct their business and be able to pay for the allowances that the assembly members need to carry out their duties. So, I’m particularly excited about that arrangement,” he added.
The move to support assembly members financially is expected to improve local governance by ensuring better service delivery, more accountability, and stronger participation at the grassroots level.
