DECENTRALISATION: Where our chiefs stand

The idea of decentralisation is to serve as a catalyst for individuals and communities to emphasize the values of social cohesion and as such take the big burden off the shoulders of the central government.It should not be seen as a centrifugal endeavour but as a binding venture which is necessary in galvanizing the ideals of any nation

On one of those days when i feel like discussing a national issue with someone, a very important topic came along. It was actually very handy because its been on my mind for a long time.

I asked my friend what he thinks about the whole democratic structure of ghana when it comes to the critical issue of decentralisation. Frankly, I dont know of any other country that use our district assembly structure but that is not to say its not good. What i feel is that we need a little bit more of transformation down there

After quite some time with this firm friend of mine, I retired to my closest and truly amorous friend i call Asiwome, a true African indeed.

We however did conclude on some points which we feel when considered would transform our district assemblies into the true tool of decentralisation we need.

Both of us agreed that to succeed at the grassroots, there is the need to include actively into that structure the chief(s) of the traditional areas. Currently chiefs are involved somewhere in the structure, but until we involve them an active basis our quest to achieve nation building from this venture would be woefully thwarted

Chiefs,unfortunately, are underrated powerhouses in our society now.Many people could be justified by doing so in the past because most of these chiefs were either not really educated or individuals of very liitle educational backgrounds but only chosen on royalty basis. But now the trend is cheeringly positive. Traditional areas have opted for more educated and enlightened members of the royal families or close associates.These modern day chiefs and even those of the past have been very influential persons than a lot of the politically appointed district chief executives(DCEs). It can be ascertained that projects which have had direct involvement of chiefs in an area have been far successful than that of DCEs.

I must say i am looking forward to a structure in the near future where the chiefs would be at the top or thereabouts.

This issue is really a critical one and as such watch out for more in my next post.I plan to showcase how some chiefs are making it big, why others should put them at the helm including the district assemblies.