Accra: The Centre for Local Government Advocacy (CLGA) has proposed measures to assess and request accountability from District, Municipal, and Metropolitan assemblies. The CLGA highlighted the disconnect between grand development plans and their implementation on the ground, stressing the lack of awareness among residents of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
According to Ghana News Agency, this was disclosed by Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, a member of the Board of Directors for CLGA, at the 2024 Public Financial Management Compliance League media engagement held in Accra. He stated that accountability at the local government level was a shared duty that required citizens to be informed and proactive by routinely scrutinising development projects and initiatives.
He noted that citizens and the media alike must take a keen interest in relevant documents that contained development projects, notably the development plan, budget plan, and procurement plan. He said these documents outlined the vision and plans of assemblies, thus demanding accountability must commence from that perspective.
Dr. Osae explained, ‘Then, budgets. One of the areas you need to also check is that the budget is a quantification of the plan. So, if there is something in the plan that has not been budgeted, they will not proceed with it. Am I contributing to it? So, you check every project in the plan.’ He also urged the assemblies to empower the public by explaining how they could scrutinise the utilisation of local resources.
Mr. Herbert Apaloo, Programme Manager, CLGA, said the MMDAs had a duty to build a positive relationship with their residents. This is essential for understanding the residents’ needs and incorporating them into development plans. ‘District assemblies are required to engage with citizens in their communities to understand their needs. This engagement is crucial for making public and private resources available for their redevelopment and development plans,’ he stated.
He said these engagements would also strengthen the decentralisation system by ensuring effective decentralisation of accountability. He highlighted issues from the 2024 Public Financial Management Compliance League, noting procurement irregularities and a lack of adherence to the Public Financial Management Act by some MMDAs. Mr. Apaloo said this situation necessitates urgent training for MMDAs on the proper application of the Public Financial Management Act.