The Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC), Dr Dominic Gameli Hoedoafia, has stated that ministers who directly implement development projects at the local level are acting contrary to the law.
According to him, the role of cabinet ministers and ministers of state is limited to policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation, and not the execution of projects within local communities.
Speaking in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face programme on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Dr Hoedoafia urged the media to hold public officials accountable for actions that undermine Ghana’s decentralisation framework.
“When you see ministers doing implementation at the local level, the media should take them on because they are breaking the law,” he said.
Dr Hoedoafia explained that Ghana’s decentralisation system assigns implementation responsibilities to local government structures, while ministers are expected to provide policy direction and oversight.
He further clarified that decentralisation at the regional level operates under a de-concentration model, where regional authorities do not possess autonomous decision-making powers.
“Decentralisation at the regional level, we mean de-concentration, where they don’t have the power to make decisions or political decision-making,” he said.
He added that agencies at the district level have the authority to make decisions independently.
The IMCC Executive Secretary’s comments form part of ongoing discussions on strengthening Ghana’s decentralisation agenda and ensuring that governance responsibilities are exercised at the appropriate levels of government.
