NEW DISTRICTS, MUNICIPALITIES MUST WORK (OCTOBER 27, 2007)

BY an Executive Instrument, the President last week created 25 new districts and three municipalities and upgraded 26 existing districts into municipalities. Additionally, the Tema and Cape Coast municipalities were raised to the status of metropolitan assemblies.
This is a move that must be lauded, since it aims at bringing governance closer to the people. Arguably, an effective governance structure is hinged on an effective devolution of power to adequately empower the masses to be captains of their destiny.
The move by the government goes to enforce its determination to ensure that the decentralisation process is pursued to its logical end, even as the emerging lapses are addressed.
But while the Daily Graphic hails the creation of the new district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies, the paper wishes to caution against what may be described as “disturbing noises” emerging as a result of the merger of Adenta and Ashaiman as one district, with the capital at Adenta.
This sounds like a familiar tune, if one recalls the creation of the Adaklu-Anyigbe District and the resulting ripples that nearly threatened to defeat the very purpose for which the district was created.
The people of Adaklu protested against the siting of the district capital at Kpetoe and refused to attend assembly meetings there.
In a similar fashion, the people of Ashaiman have raised their voice against the siting of the district capital at Adenta. They are reported to have argued that because Adenta was more developed than Ashaiman, siting the district capital at Ashaiman would help develop it. Indeed, there have even been suggestions to the effect that the granting of Ashaiman a full district status was the only solution to the enormous development challenges in that community, whose population is said to be more than that of Tema.
Days after the announcement, some Ghanaians have been startled by reports that assembly members from Ashaiman have threatened to boycott assembly meetings that will be held at Adenta because of what they describe as the high cost of transportation from Ashaiman to Adenta.
These are concerns that should not be dismissed with just a wave of the hand. Although it may be utterly preposterous to succumb to the will of the revolts from Ashaiman, it may also be self-destructive to move ahead with activities in the new district without ensuring that there is peace and unity in the district.
The Daily Graphic wishes to advise the relevant authority to bring the parties involved together to find an amicable solution to the impasse to ensure that the new district takes off smoothly with a united vision and purpose.
We also wish to advise incoming local heads to be wary of their obligations under the 1992 Constitution. Indeed, the Constitution states that “as far as practicable, persons in the service of local government shall be subject to the effective control of local authorities”.
The Constitution further adds that to ensure the accountability of local government authorities, people in particular local government areas shall, as far as practicable, be afforded the opportunity to participate effectively in their governance. 
The Daily Graphic wishes to remind local government heads of their responsibility in that regard and challenge them to actively engage their people in the governing process to ensure a true decentralisation of power.
Furthermore, we expect the various heads to serve the people and not to lord it over them, as some egoistic heads of district and municipal assemblies have demonstrated in the past. This country must move forward and it will take our collective effort to ensure that the decentralisation process remains on course.