The Chamber for Local Governance (CHALoG) has described the 90 percent self-assessment score given by the Minister for Local Governance, Hajia Alima Mahama on the performance of the sector as not based on the fulfilment of the 2016 manifesto promise.
In a statement signed by President of CHALoG, Richard Fiadomor, it expressed shock over the eulogizing speech given by Hajia Alima, subsequently scoring the ministry a 40 percent on overall performance as far as execution of the promises are concerned.
“The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) was greeted with shock when the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development assessed and scored herself as having delivered Ninety Percent (90%) of the promises made by the ruling NPP in its 2016 Party Manifesto at a Press Conference yesterday.
“With the aforementioned promises and the non-delivery rate of the Minister, ChaLoG is therefore convinced beyond all reasonable doubts, that local government minister has woefully failed to deliver on the NPP Manifesto promises on the local governance sector and should be scored 40% on her performance at the ministry and not the self-assessment score of 90% as Ghanaians are being made to believe.
“But for the President himself not committed to deepening and consolidating decentralization in Ghana, the local government minister should have been sacked after two (2) years in office”.
According to the Chamber, the Local Governance Ministry has failed in delivering most of its policies spelled out in their manifesto citing the abolishing of the current practice of central government manipulation of the DACF through the procurement process as “not delivered and in fact worse than it was before the NPP government took power in 2017”.
It similarly stated that sanitation policies and programmes have not been achieved by the sector ministry.
“Ensure the consolidation of all existing national sanitation policies, plans and programmes into a National Programme and Action Plan and establish a National Sanitation Fund to fund it. Not delivered even though this in particular is supposed to have been implemented by the Sanitation Minister”.
Chief among the failed promise deliverables was the overseeing of the direct election of Metropolitan/Municipal/District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) within 24 months of election into office.
Also, it noted that improved allowance stipulated to be paid to Assembly members have been unsuccessful, “and now we are been told it is against International Best Practice for part timers to be paid by MMDAs”.
CHALoG however indicated that the ministry for Local Governance has fulfilled its promise of strengthening the sub-structures of MMDAs through Capacity and adequate resource allocation.
