PUBLISHED MARCH 20
Story: TIM DZAMBOE, HO
THE dichotomy between Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCRs) in the struggle for power at the district level has been identified as real and was hindering the development of many districts in the country to the detriment of the welfare of rural dwellers.
All the speakers at a one-day workshop on the theme: “Co-operation between MPs and DCEs” conceded that the problem was not only related to the appropriation of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACE), but some MPs’ self-aggrandisement, self-elevation and other human factors.
The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, attracted MPs and DCEs from the Volta and Eastern regions.
In an address, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Freddie Blay, said the MP was a lobbyist with overlapping functions into the district level, and that had led to the emergence of animosity and mistrust between the MPs and the DCEs.
He said the problem should not be allowed to degenerate, especially in an election year, adding that it did not occur only when the MP and DCE belonged to different parties, but even when both could be members of the same party.
The Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, said the district chief executive was the representative of the government and head of both the administrative and political spheres.
He said the MP was to contribute to the debate of the district assembly but had no voting rights.
Mr Adjei-Darko stated that the roles of those two actors were key to good governance and ensuring improved participation in the development agenda.
He said co-operation was necessary for all different actors to achieve their objectives instead of competing with one another resulting in conflicts.
The minister stressed the need for both parties to recognise their respective roles.
He said society must be made aware that the performances of MPs and MMDCEs could not be evaluated using the same yardstick.
Mr Adjei-Darko called on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to embark on a campaign to clear the minds of the people on the roles of MPs and MMDCEs.
He said lack of harmony among actors due to power struggles, misunderstanding of roles and lack of co-operation could be avoided if all stakeholders saw themselves as partners whose relationship with the MMDCEs would enhance their leadership roles.
The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader, Mr Abraham Ossei-Aidoo, said despite the definition roles by law, the two actors must see themselves as partners in development and that there should be cohesion at all times to enhance development.
He said each of them must complement the efforts of the other so that the desired synergy could be achieved.
Mr Ossei-Aidoo said there was the need to show mutual respect to one other and no person should feel superior to the other whether they belonged to the same party or not, and must harmonise their efforts for the general good of the people.
“I do acknowledge the status of the DCE as a manager of the district and that the MP must recognise this and should not attempt to usurp this function. In a similar vein, I expect the DCE to acknowledge the national status of the MP and accord him due recognition,” he emphasised.
He suggested that effective channels of communication should be established between the MP and the DCE.
The Majority Leader stressed the need for MPs to be invited to assembly meetings and other official functions of the district on time to erase misconceptions and to create avenues for greater co-operation.
Mr Ossei-Aidoo also suggested the separation of the MPs share of the common fund from the district assemblies, and that the legislation on the tenure of DCEs for two terms must be reviewed, since it was a key source of conflict.
The Administrator of the DACF, Mr Joshua Magnus Nicol, said it did not matter whether the fund was the assemblies’ main fund or constituency development fund (MPs common fund), since the two funds belonged to the people of Ghana.
He said the difference was that the groups had different roles to play to bring development to the communities.
Mr Nicol added that if all should work with the guidelines, it could reduce misunderstandings and instead promote good working relations in the interest of the people that they claimed to be serving.
He said although the common fund had been increased from five to 7.5 per cent, it should be borne in mind that the number of assemblies had been increased from 138 to 170 and the additional ones were expected to benefit from the same fund.
The DACF administrator, however, said some assemblies would have their burdens reduced, since new districts created from them would be given their share of the fund.
For his part, the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, said the perceived conflict was part of human existence where competition was inevitable, attributing it to the inability of those involved to live by the concepts that the nation had embraced effectively.
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, who chaired the function, said it was sad to note that conflicts and differences continued to exist across political affiliation, which had a negative impact on the communities.
“Whatever it is, the problem must be seen holistically and objectively without any political colouring,” he stressed.
No comments:
Post a Comment