Cape Coast, Oct. 20, GNA - Participants at a forum in Cape Coast were of the view that although the local government system was laudable, its structures needed to be strengthened and empowered to make it more functional.

The Central Regional 'consultative forum' held on Monday was on "acceleration of decentralization in Ghana" They said even though the constitution clearly spells out the functions of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, making them autonomous bodies to carry out their functions to ensure development in their areas they are still not free from central government control. The participants included the University Teachers' Association of Ghana, Civil Servants Association, religious organizations, assembly members and some individuals.

The forum was organized by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to solicit views from the public in order to review the decentralization programme after 20 years of its implementation. The forum mentioned some of the areas under central government control as the Common Fund and the award of some contracts and said the assemblies should be given the free hand to execute all projects. The forum called for decentralization of all aspects of the local government system, adding that decentralization "is not being practiced as is being preached. You cannot decentralize without empowering the people", and called for the recognition and strengthening of the zonal and unit committees.

They said since the decentralization was based on non-partisanship, the 30% of appointments to the assemblies made by the government should be cancelled and the neutral role traditional authorities play be maintained. The participants also echoed calls for the election of chief executives for the various assemblies to make them more accountable to the people and suggested that assembly members should be paid "to compensate for doing the bulk of the work at the grass root level".

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Joseph Yieleh Chireh, said the region was the first to hold the forum and that academia had presented papers on the challenges facing the decentralization programme and it was the turn of the public to add its views. He expressed the hope that the forum would not be another talk shop but that the public would make inputs.

Dr. Esther Offei-Aboagye, Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies, said the assemblies were mandated among others to help eradicate poverty, ensure sound environmental sanitation and develop infrastructure to improve the lot of their people.

She said the forum was to assess and see how their performance could be improved to facilitate popular participation in local level governance. The Director of the Institute of Education Planning and Administration (IEPA) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr. George Oduro, urged the public to discuss the issue dispassionately devoid of partisan politics. He said the "Better Ghana" agenda hinged on unity and appealed to all Ghanaians to contribute their quota to facilitate decentralization for socio-economic development.

Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, the Central Regional Minister, was present.