Amid deliberations by the Constitution Review Committee on constitutional reforms for Decentralization and Local Government and Chieftaincy, the Director of the Institute of Local Governance, Dr. Esther Ofei Aboagye, has questioned the existence of assemblies that do not meet the criteria to be designated as local government units.
Dr. Ofei Aboagye explained that the creation of assemblies hinges on the ability of the proposed area to meet several requirements, with population size being a mandatory criterion for eligibility. “Population size formed part of the criteria for identifying or demarcating or justifying the creation of an assembly. But there were other factors like the economic viability, social, historical and cultural peculiarities…” she said.
She emphasized that one crucial factor to consider is the economic viability of the proposed area, which implies its ability to generate revenue for development. “It is based on economics that we can propel an assembly to be sustainable to function effectively.”
The local government expert advised that the government must regulate the creation of assemblies and set clear parameters through constitutional amendments to facilitate the proper establishment of assemblies in Ghana.
