Paul Adom-Otchere has attributed recurring dissatisfaction with Ghana’s governments to the country’s poorly developed local governance system rather than purely central administrative failures.
Discussing the issue on Good Morning Ghana monitored by MyNewsGh, Adom-Otchere noted that every administration under the Fourth Republic has faced the same cultural and structural challenge, citizens blame the president for nearly every shortcoming, from poor roads to water shortages, due to an over-centralized political system.
“When a road in a village is bad, it becomes the president’s fault,” he said. “Without a strong local government structure, no administration can meet the expectations of 30 million people.”
He argued that the absence of functional local systems means governments are constantly overwhelmed by demands that should ordinarily be managed at the district level.
This, he said, fuels disillusionment and amplifies the perception of incompetence or corruption at the top.
Adom-Otchere added that in more decentralized democracies, such as those in the West, accountability is spread across multiple levels, preventing the kind of national frustration seen in Ghana.
He emphasized that meaningful governance reform must therefore include a deliberate strengthening of local administrative authority.
