A local government official and academic has attributed the failure of several district assemblies in Ghana’s latest performance assessment to weak capacity among assembly members and poor adherence to governance procedures.
Awinesema Abiire, an assembly member for the Gamboringo Electoral Area and a lecturer at Bolgatanga Technical University, said many assemblies lack the technical understanding needed to meet requirements under the country’s local governance framework.
His comments follow reports that 143 assemblies failed the District Development Data Platform (DDP) assessment, a performance evaluation that determines eligibility for development funding.
Mr Abiire said assembly members often fail to ask critical questions, demand accountability or ensure that key procedures such as approvals of action plans and consideration of audit reports are properly followed.
“If the capacity of assembly members is built, they would be able to table motions and demand the right things,” he said in a radio interview.
He cited the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936) as a key guide that is frequently overlooked, noting that many assemblies treat mandatory processes as routine discussions rather than formal approvals required by law.
Mr Abiire pointed to the Bongo District Assembly as an example, saying it performed poorly in the 2024 assessment partly because it operated for a period without a presiding member, an essential role for ensuring compliance.
The failure, he said, cost the assembly access to between 9 million and 11 million Ghana cedis in potential funding from international partners, including the German Development Bank and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
He described the assessment criteria as “basic,” citing requirements such as holding at least three general assembly meetings annually, conducting quarterly audit committee meetings and organizing town hall engagements covering at least 20% of electoral areas.
“It is so simple that no assembly should fail,” he said, expressing disappointment over the outcomes.
Mr Abiire urged newly appointed district chief executives, including Bongo’s current leadership, to strictly follow established guidelines and ensure proper documentation, implementation of decisions and timely submission of reports.
He also called for stronger collaboration between assembly members, technocrats and political leaders, emphasizing that no single actor can ensure success alone.
Additionally, he encouraged assemblies to review their assessment reports to identify weaknesses and improve performance ahead of future evaluations.
For assembly members, Mr Abiire stressed the need to prioritize competence over political considerations when assigning roles, particularly in technical committees, and to focus on the interests of their constituents.
“The interest of the electorate should come before personal or political ambitions,” he said.
