Government to Review Act 462

Captain Nkrabeah Effah Darteh (Rtd), Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development has reiterated government's determination to review some sections of the Local Government Act 462, which he said is impeding national development.

He said every human institution is dynamic and as such, Act 462, which was promulgated in 1993, needs to be reviewed to be in line with modern trends.

Captain Effah Darteh was speaking at the close of a two-day workshop on the proposed amendments to the Local Government Act. It was attended by District Chief Executives, District Co-ordinating Directors, Assembly members and core staff of District Assemblies in Ashanti at the week-end.

The workshop was organised by the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

One area slated for review, Capt. Effah Darteh said, is the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives; these office holders should be elected by universal adult suffrage to ensure a peaceful and harmonious working relationship.

Another area, which needs to be looked at is the representation of chiefs on the assemblies, he said, adding that the law as it stands now marginalizes chiefs.

There is also the need to shift concentration from the district assemblies to the area and town councils where the mass of the people could be well represented for the rapid development of the rural areas.

He called on NALAG and other stakeholders in local administration to intensify the education on local governance and proposed the formation of Local Government Clubs in all institutions beginning from basic schools to the tertiary institutions.

Mr Akwasi Asare Ankomah, President of NALAG, said the effectiveness of the local government system depends on the extent to which people manage their resources and contribute towards decision making.