LET' ALL SUPPORT NEW DISTRICTS

NEWLY created districts were inaugurated throughout the country at the weekend as part of measures to bring the decision-making process to the doorstep of the people.
The inauguration of these districts was not without the usual animosity among interest groups which emerge when new districts are created.
Since 1988, when the number of administrative districts was increased from 65 to 110, news of the creation of new districts and particularly the siting of the capitals of those districts has always been met with stiff opposition, culminating in demonstrations and, in some cases, the destruction of property.
It is understandable that chiefs and people continue to argue their cases in their quest to get district capitals sited in their towns because new district capitals come with infrastructural development and other facilities.
It has taken us too long to appreciate the importance of the decentralisation process and put an end to the disagreements in order to promote unity in diversity, bearing in mind that smaller district administrative units have the capacity to get everybody involved in the governance process.
Smaller district assemblies with a sizeable number of assembly members will be better resourced to mobilise the people in the districts to take decisions that affect their well-being. A truly decentralised system has still not been attained because the centre is unable to let go some of its authority, hence the inability of the district assemblies to enforce simple bye-laws to address sanitation and problems relating to hawking, the erection of unauthorised structures, especially on waterways, and indiscipline among drivers.
It is in this vein that we reiterate the President’s appeal to chiefs and their people to accept decisions taken by the government in the siting of the capitals of the newly created districts.
In the words of the President, “The rationale for the creation of the districts is to improve administration, deepen democracy and governance and also ensure the equitable distribution of the national cake.”
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the time has come for all of us to bury our differences and rally round district administrators and assembly members to bring development to the doorstep of the people.
The time spent on demonstrations could better be used to dialogue, find common grounds on the differences and chart a new path to promote rapid development.
When we come together, we will be able to put our districts, communities, towns and villages on the path of economic development and prosperity.
The new districts provide the platform for the people to take charge of their destiny.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on all the interest groups to reject violence and support the process to deepen democracy and expand the frontiers of participatory democracy in every neighbourhood, village and hamlet in all the districts.