Parliament to empower district assemblies

...to sack heads of decentralised institutions.

Parliament will pass a law to empower district assemblies to sack or transfer incompetent, inefficient, lazy and undisciplined heads of decentralized departments, corporations, agencies and institutions.

Mr G.B.L Siilo, District Coordinating Director for Awutu-Affutu-Senya, said this at the close of a week-long orientation course for Awutu-Affutu-Senya District Assembly members at Winneba.

The Ministry of Local Government, European Union (EU) organised the course.

Mr Siilo said the current law establishing the Local Government system of administration has not given the district assemblies authority to fire or transfer heads of decentralized departments whose activities undermine the smooth development of their areas of operations.

''Until the new local government law is passed it will be difficult for assemblies to transfer or sack any head of department who wilfully violates civil service regulations.''

He said under the proposed local government law district assemblies would be responsible for the payment of salaries and other emolument of workers of decentralized organisations through the preparation of composite budget.

Mr Siilo said when this is done district assemblies would have the power to exercise greater supervisory control over workers operating in their areas of jurisdiction.

Mr Siilo attributed the slow pace of development in the Awutu-Affutu-Senya district partly to lack of co-operation and mutual understanding among members of the district assembly, resulting in their inability to elect District Chief Executives and Presiding Members for the Assembly at the right time.