Give Assemblies Authority To Take Decisions — Nduom

He observed that failure of the central government to give the local government authorities control over their budgets, as well as the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives by the president had affected development.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Dr Nduom further underscored the need to eliminate laws that gave the president the power to appoint one-third of assembly members in the various local assemblies.

“We must all work together to ensure complete decentralisation of administration and democracy,” he urged.

Dr Nduom noted that since the 1980s, the way of doing things have changed, hence “we must change along with it and trust the local people to determine their own destiny”.

In recent times, a lot of people have advocated the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives for the respective assemblies across the country.

The Flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, a former National Security Co-ordinator, Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retd), a former Finance Minister, Mr Osafo Marfo, and media practitioner Kwesi Pratt Jnr have all supported calls for MMDCEs to be elected for various reasons.

Although President Mahama, in 2013, declared his support for the election of the chief executives of the various assemblies, he said if care was not taken, the process would be politicised.

However, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi, a local government expert, has downplayed calls for the election of heads of the local assemblies, arguing it would further deepen disunity at the grass roots and be detrimental to the development of the country.