Gov’t urged to reconsider creation of MMDAs

The Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) has called on the government to reconsider the creation of new Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and instead make the existing MMDAs more functional and effective.

Alhaji Abdulai Mahama Baba, Vice Chairman of GDCA, a Tamale-based non-governmental organization (NGO), made the call when presenting the 2013 annual report of the NGO at its 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Dalun in the Kumbungu District on Wednesday.

The AGM, which brought members and staff of various units of GDCA together, was to accept auditors’ report of the accounts of GDCA and its various units as well as discuss other issues affecting the organization.

Alhaji Baba said “Whereas it is a good idea to increase governance through the creation of new districts, it is a better idea to make the existing assemblies perform to their best.”

He said “Many of the existing assemblies hardly have their full compliment of human resources in the various fields to support the service of the MMDAs; yet new districts are being created.

“The lower level structures of MMDAs such as sub-metros, zonal/area/town councils and unit committees are non-functioning and there are not enough resources to go round; yet new districts are being created.”

Alhaji Baba said that in some jurisdictions, local authorities were being merged and reconfigured to make them more effective and urged the government to learn from some instances.

He also spoke about other projects being undertaken by the various units of GDCA, which included Empowerment for Life, Complementary Basic Education, Civil Society Strengthening amongst others saying “They have worked to improve many lives with the programmes and project interventions and services.”

Mr Abukari Seidu, District Chief Executive for Tolon, commended GDCA for its projects which complemented the efforts of the government to bring relief to the people especially in rural areas.

Mr Seidu urged the youth to take advantage of the numerous opportunities created in the agricultural sector to make the country a net exporter of agricultural produce.

Mr Moses Amadu Yahaya, Member of Parliament for Kumbungu urged the people to unite to facilitate development saying leaders of political parties were united and therefore their followers must not be at loggerheads with one another.