Accra: Mr Yao Semorde, a Business and Organisation Development Consultant, has called on Ghanaians to take a more active role in holding sub-metropolitan and zonal councils accountable for local development outcomes. Mr Semorde emphasised the need for citizens to pay closer attention to the responsibilities and operations of local government substructures and explained that sub-metros and zonal councils, at the metropolitan and municipal levels respectively, though often overlooked, play a crucial role in the development of communities through revenue collection and basic service delivery.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Semorde made this known during a stakeholder training organised by the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), in collaboration with Tema Metropolitan Assembly. The event was held under the Partnership for Municipal Innovations- Women in Local Leadership (PMI- WILL) project, focusing on Inclusive Service Delivery strategy through Popular Participation. Under Ghana's Local Governance Act, sub-district structures such as zonal councils are tasked with assisting the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to carry out their mandates.
He urged residents to use councils as their first point of contact when requesting developmental projects such as sanitation services, streetlights, recreational spaces, and other basic social amenities. He, however, expressed concern over the neglect of these institutions by people when they needed development, as according to him, Ghanaians do not fully understand the roles these committees play, leading to low engagement, limited accountability, and weak performance.
Mr Semorde stressed that such improvements would remain isolated unless there was sustained pressure from residents and community groups and encouraged Ghanaians to attend community planning meetings, monitor the use of local revenue, and demand transparency in how funds are spent. He said development begins at the local level, and therefore, if both residents and committees play their roles well, there would be real improvements in sanitation, infrastructure, and social services across our communities.
