The Overlord of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has described the current centralized governance being practiced in the country as outmoded and in need of change to transform the fortunes of the country in the 21st century.
Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, noted that good policies will only work when governments decentralize. He cited flagship programs such as One-District-One-Factory and Planting for Food and Jobs, among others, which are still struggling due to their centralization.
He suggested to the government to allow local people to own their projects.
He made these remarks when he addressed a delegation from the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, who paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Ofori Panin Fie at Kyebi.
The delegation’s visit is part of an inspection tour of some projects under the Ghana Secondary Cities program in three municipalities in the Eastern Region.
Okyenhene warned that failure to ensure communities own projects will derail Sustainable Development Goals by the government.
“We need to begin to trust the people in our localities and allow them to own the projects in their communities. Our former leaders understood decentralization and rural development. If the system is at fault, I don’t care what vision anybody has. The system must be changed for accountability. The British, who left the system, has changed theirs. Why are we here? Rural development carries a lot of weight. PFJ, One-District-One-Factory are all great visions and programs. They are not moving as they are supposed to be because the people don’t own it.
You don’t have the dignity of a voice if you don’t own it. The Western region is the richest region, yet it is the poorest because of our poor. Because of the centrality of governance, they are the poorest.”
On his part, the sector minister, in an interview with the media after inspecting the construction of a modern market and shopping mall, a 44-room hostel with a 300-seater auditorium, and a restaurant all in Kyebi and other projects in the Lower Manya Krobo and New Juaben South Municipalities, shared his views on the next line of action.
“We do monitor the engineers. I’m satisfied with the progress of work so far.”