Local Government Minister, Akwasi Oppong Fosu, has stated that government has no intention of interfering with the running of Local Government Authorities with its new proposal for the election of Municipal Chief Executives (MCEs).
The government proposed the amendment of the Constitution provision to enable the President nominate five persons for each District, Municipal, and Metropolis who would be vetted by the Public Services Commission for onward election by the general public.
There are fears the new move could perpetuate central government’s control over the local authorities.
But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, Mr. Oppong Fosu stated that the local authorities cannot be completely autonomous from the Central Government.
“Some of the Metros and Municipals still come back to local government to bail them out of agreements especially in waste management that they are not able to fulfill their part.”
He explained that “if I sit in the Ministry and Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Kumasi Metro and Accra Metro engages waste management service providers and they are not able to pay for services done, and they come to Central government to bail them out, Central government should have a role in what happens there.”
Mr. Oppong Fosu further clarified that there is a difference between “intervention and interference” adding that he is going to intervene in challenges the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is facing because according to him, “Central government will not sit back and say it is an autonomous and for that matter, things should degenerate to the levels that we here is going on there.”
Meanwhile, the Obuasi MP, Kwaku Kwarteng maintains government ought to wash its hands of the local authorities to enable them develop independently.
“Until we give them that responsibility, we will never know their capabilities… we will never know their capacity. So the way to deal with this issue is to give them responsibility, let them make mistakes, let the institutional lessons be learned and then we can make progress.”
Mr. Kwarteng suggested that direct voting should be done across the board which according to him will address the winner takes all matter.
“Let’s not have a situation where we say it’s non political but everybody knows that political parties are behind the candidates. Let us make it open, political and then it will address partly, the winner takes all.”
