The politics of municipal fragmentation in Ghana

Mohammed, Abdulai Kuyini

doi:10.5130/cjlg.v0i0.4493

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Not surprisingly, almost 40% of MMDAs with populations lower than the legally-required minimum threshold are presently located within the two main electoral 'vote banks' of the two dominant parties, namely the Ashanti and Volta regions for the NPP and NDC respectively (Ibid). Ayee (2013: 16) describes the continuous fragmentation of MMDAs as 'a patronage-building exercise' that serves as a means of rewarding loyal ruling political party members through appointments as MMDCEs and enhancing the electoral fortunes of ruling parties through gerrymandering (see also Owusu, 2015;Mohammed, 2015). Unsurprisingly, the three most recent waves of district creation occurred either during election years (2004 and 2012) or just a year prior to elections (2007).…”

Section: The Politics Of Citizen Participation In Local Governance Prmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Political Economy of Decentralisation and the Challenge of Improved Service Delivery in Urban Ghana

Abdulai¹

2017

Ghana J. Dev. Stud.

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This article explains why several decades of decentralisation reforms have had limited impact on improving access to quality basic services in Ghana, with a particular focus on urban areas. Data was gathered through a review of secondary literature, an analysis of primary documents, and a focus group discussion with the budget and planning officers of three Municipal Assemblies in the Greater Accra region. Devolution reduces the discretionary powers of national political elites, and by extension their capacity to resort to the clientelist distribution of resources as a political survival strategy. Consequently, in countries where politicians at the centre are susceptible to a high degree of vulnerability due to intense electoral competition, topdown elite commitment to decentralisation would most likely remain weak, with significant adverse implications for the capacity of sub-national authorities in delivering their mandates. The article concludes that given the importance of the nature of central-local power dynamics in making decentralisation work for the poor, a fuller understanding of the political constraints to service delivery in urban Ghana would require going beyond an exclusive focus on local power dynamics within cities to an examination of the wider structures of power within which subnational authorities are embedded.

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Section: The Politics Of Citizen Participation In Local Governance Prmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Political Economy of Decentralisation and the Challenge of Improved Service Delivery in Urban Ghana

Abdulai¹

2017

Ghana J. Dev. Stud.

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“…Partisanship has crept into both sub-national elections and aspects of local governance that are based on appointments. Scholars have shown politics' critical role in the creation of districtsbasic units of local governance -in Ghana (Ayee, 2008;Mohammed, 2015). The resourcing of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) is equally found to be imbued with more politics than is legally allowed (Ankamah, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Politics in Decentralization: The Appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Ghana

Mohammed¹

2018

ASSRJ

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Volumes of studies have examined Ghana's decentralization. But none has looked at the politics in the appointment of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) -the political heads of the districts in Ghana, which is not only political but partisan and perennially contentious. The objective of this paper is to fill the gap by identifying the political actors in the process of appointing MMDCEs, their interests, the tension and the elements of the political furore among them. Making MMDCEs elective in Ghana is also examined.

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“…Local governance is used to contrast with offices at state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government (where appropriate). Local government institutions generally act within powers delegated to them by legislation or directives of the higher level of government (Mohammed, 2015). Simply, local governance means governance at the grassroots led by local level units or agencies.…”

Section: Local Governance and Subsidiarity: A Theoretical Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Prospects and Challenges of Sub-District Structures under Ghana’s Local Governance System

Forkuor¹,

Adjei²

2016

JSD

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The research investigated into the operations and activities of the sub-district structures of local government in Ghana. Three districts in the Asante Region were studied using a cross-sectional study design. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. In addition to literature review, a sample size of 79 was used and responses from mainly the Chairmen of the sub-district structures represented the primary data. Data were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Results from the analysis indicated that sub-district structures are confronted with a number of constraints that militate against the realization of their potential for inducing grassroots development. The constraints include: poor or no office accommodation, lack of commitment from district assemblies and sub-metropolitan units to provide the needed assistance to the sub-district structures. However, the Unit Committees representing the last tier of the local government structure are more effective and efficient in keeping touch with the grassroots than the Town, Area, Zonal and Urban councils. Recommendations are made to the Local Government Ministry but worthy of note among the recommendations are the urgent need to officially inaugurate all sub-district structures that have not been inaugurated and initiate a process to review the Legislative Instrument establishing Sub-district structures in Ghana.

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The politics of municipal fragmentation in Ghana

Cited by 7 publications

References 19 publications

The Political Economy of Decentralisation and the Challenge of Improved Service Delivery in Urban Ghana

The Political Economy of Decentralisation and the Challenge of Improved Service Delivery in Urban Ghana

Politics in Decentralization: The Appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Ghana

Analysis of Prospects and Challenges of Sub-District Structures under Ghana’s Local Governance System

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