LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN GHANA

Year 2019, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 168 - 188, 16.08.2019

Sarah Buerkwor Kpentey

Abstract

For a few decades now, national leaders worldwide have become more
interested and developed a positive appreciation of the role of the local
government in the socio-economic development of a country. This paper discusses
decentralisation and the local government system of Ghana. Through
empirical findings and literature review, this paper analyses the local
government structure of Ghana, its effectiveness and citizen participation. It
examines the gap that exist between decentralisation and local government as
proposed in the laws of the land and decentralisation as being practiced. The
paper draws attention to the structural deficiencies and obtacles confronting
the full realisation of a more participatory local government in the country. It
observes central government’s relunctance to truely relinquish control over its
powers and the various recentralisation “traps” it has built in the
decentralisation process. The paper concurs that participation without
accountability is only a partial ingredient to a highly responsive local governmeny.

Keywords

Local Government, Decentralisation, Participation, Accountabilty, Ghana

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN GHANA

Abstract

For a few decades now, national leaders worldwide have become more interested and developed a positive appreciation of the role of the local government in the socio-economic development of a country. This paper discusses decentralisation and the local government system of Ghana. Through empirical findings and literature review, this paper analyses the local government structure of Ghana, its effectiveness and citizen participation. It examines the gap that exist between decentralisation and local government as proposed in the laws of the land and decentralisation as being practiced. The paper draws attention to the structural deficiencies and obtacles confronting the full realisation of a more participatory local government in the country. It observes central government’s relunctance to truely relinquish control over its powers and the various recentralisation “traps” it has built in the decentralisation process. The paper concurs that participation without accountability is only a partial ingredient to a highly responsive local governmeny.

Keywords

yerel yönetimler, yerleleşme, katılımcılık, hesp verebilirlik, Gana

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