Reinventing Governance from Centralisation to Decentralisation: The need
for a new direction for Ghana’s local government system
Abstract
This paper discusses Ghana’s decentralisation and local government
system vis-à-vis the District Assembly concept which has functioned
since 1988. It analyses why the system has not made the desired impact
on the country’s governance system and democratic process. It concludes
that the decentralisation system has failed to make the desired impact
due to a lack of democratic accountability and legitimacy at the
grassroots level and the absence of political will of successive
governments to devolve power. It makes some recommendations and
proposals on how the system could be made more functional, democratic
and accountable to build the confidence and trust of citizens and
increase their level of participation in the democratic dispensation.