The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) says Ghana’s local governance system is failing, not because of weak laws, but because those laws are not being followed.
The finding came out of a three-month study presented at a national stakeholder workshop in Accra on Thursday, April 2.
Speaking at the event, Paul Nana Kwabena Aborampah Mensah, Team Lead for Local and Urban Governance at CDD-Ghana, said the research shows a consistent breakdown in basic accountability practices across district assemblies.
“We realised that there are enough laws to regulate district assemblies. However, the laws are not conformed to,” he said.
The study covered 24 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies across 12 regions. Researchers used field observation, interviews, and focus group discussions to understand how the system works in practice.
According to Mr. Mensah, one major gap is the failure of assembly members to engage the people they represent.
“They are expected to consult their constituents before general meetings. They don’t do that. They are also expected to report back. They don’t do that,” he said.
The study also found weak transparency in how public projects are managed. In many cases, basic project information meant for the public is either incomplete or missing.
“District assemblies are supposed to put signposts on projects indicating cost, funders and other details. Sometimes even where the signposts exist, the financial information is missing,” he explained.
Beyond compliance issues, the report points to structural problems. Key sub-district structures meant to deepen local participation are not functioning, while traditional authorities, who control land, remain largely excluded from decision-making.
“Development is land. Yet traditional authorities who manage the land do not have a formal role in decision-making,” Mr. Mensah noted.
The workshop forms part of ongoing national discussions on reforming Ghana’s decentralisation system, especially as the country prepares to implement the National Decentralisation Policy (2026–2030).
CDD-Ghana says the findings will be refined after stakeholder input and taken across 10 regions from mid-April to gather more feedback and build public support for reforms.
The organisation is pushing for stricter enforcement of existing laws, improved financial disclosure, and stronger citizen engagement at the local level.
