Accra: Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) on Decentralisation, has urged stakeholders to balance local autonomy with central government oversight in implementing Ghana's decentralisation agenda to safeguard national unity. The call comes ahead of the implementation of the National Decentralisation Policy and Strategic Framework (NDPS) 2026-2030, aimed at resetting democratic decentralisation to enhance accountable public service delivery and accelerate local-level development.
According to Ghana News Agency, speaking at a Sensitisation and Policy Orientation Workshop on Decentralisation and Local Governance for editorial heads and editors in Accra, Prof. Ahwoi said decentralisation remained a politically sensitive process because it involved the transfer of power, authority, and resources from central government to local authorities. He emphasized that while decentralisation was critical to deepening democracy and encouraging grassroots participation in governance, excessive autonomy without adequate safeguards could undermine state cohesion.
Prof. Ahwoi remarked that decentralisation implementation must ensure a delicate balance between local autonomy and central control to prevent districts from becoming overly autonomous, which could risk national disintegration. As a key figure in Ghana's 1988 decentralisation reforms, he highlighted issues such as illiteracy, poverty, urban elite dominance, and political party control that have historically hindered grassroots participation in local governance.
Additionally, Prof. Ahwoi noted that district council proceedings were previously conducted only in English, which excluded many citizens from active participation in local elections. Reforms were introduced to allow assemblies to conduct proceedings in either English or local languages chosen by assembly members. He also mentioned that local government elections were made free to remove financial barriers to participation, with the Electoral Commission providing the platform for campaigning and voting.
On the debate over partisan district-level elections, Prof. Ahwoi stated that the non-partisan system was adopted to ensure assembly members represented the interests of all residents, rather than political parties. He called for broad national consensus and constitutional amendments before any referendum on the issue, stressing the need to address potential consequences before voting.
Prof. Ahwoi advocated for the establishment of district-level accountability institutions, including audit services and anti-corruption bodies, to strengthen oversight. He revealed that a revised Local Governance Bill under development proposed reforms to strengthen decentralisation and improve local governance, including revised population thresholds for the creation of districts, municipalities, and metropolitan assemblies. The current thresholds, based on Ghana's 1984 population of 12.4 million, are outdated given the present population of about 35 million, and future thresholds would be determined by population percentages rather than fixed figures.
The proposed bill also aims to establish Budget and Environmental Sustainability Subcommittees within Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to strengthen local participation in addressing illegal mining activities. Another reform is the creation of District Public Interest and Accountability Committees to oversee the use of public funds at the district level.
Prof. Ahwoi urged media organisations, particularly local FM stations, to intensify coverage of district assembly proceedings and local governance issues through live broadcasts, regular reporting on State of the District Addresses, and specialised decentralisation programmes.
Dr. Esther Ofei Aboagye, a member of the IMCC Technical Committee, stated that the new National Decentralisation Policy sought to strengthen accountable public service delivery and accelerate local-level development nationwide. The policy focuses on political, administrative, and fiscal decentralisation, decentralised planning, local economic development, and popular participation, while emphasizing citizen engagement, digital innovation, gender inclusion, and climate resilience. Dr. Ofei Aboagye explained that the reforms were informed by lessons from over three decades of Ghana's assembly system, emerging governance challenges, technological advancements, and increasing public demand for transparent, participatory, and efficient local governance structures.