Lack Of Expertise Hampering Decentralization Process - Ahwoi

Akropong Akwapim (Eastern Region), 12 Oct. Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister of Local Government, has said ''skills and experience'' have been identified as lacking in the implementation of the decentralization policy. "The evidence of this is found in the increasing level of scare resources which government continues to invest to improve the capacities of existing staff and even on external experts to support on-going national development programmes." Mr Ahwoi, also acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, was addressing the 40th Founder's day of Okuapeman Secondary School at Akropong Akwapim yesterday. Mr Ahwoi said the reforms process require a training environment capable of imparting a deeper sense of commitment to community services and also a cadre of well qualified students to keep pace with the volume of work expected by the district assemblies. On criticisms of the Common Fund, he warned that the criticisms should not rpt not be used as a justification for centralization all funding of the assemblies in Accra. "This will be the surest way of giving up our new found power, the power of the purse for the promotion of development in our communities". Mr Ahwoi called on the public to be watch-dogs if the fund is to be judiciously utilized, adding "it is wrong to sit down for a district chief executive to unilaterally disburse the fund, and throw up our arms and blame government". District chief executives should be kept in check by the assembly while the assembly members are also to be checked by the electorate. '' If we all play our roles effectively in the disbursement, allocation and utilization of the fund as well as prioritisation, monitoring and evaluation of projects, we will make central government almost irrelevant to the developmental process in the communities", the minister added. The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Kwabena Kyere, described as discouraging Ghana's achievements in science education, since schools and colleges had been beset with problems which make the teaching and learning of science rather ineffective, particularly, in the newly established secondary schools. He said, however, that with the establishment of 64 out of the 110 science resources centres in the districts, the remaining 46 would hopefully be in operation by the end of the year to help solve problems confronting science education.