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The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr James Zuuga Tiiga, has expressed concern about the polarisation in the selection and confirmation of district chief executives and election of Presiding Members.

He said that was affecting the finances of district assemblies because the assemblies had to incur some expenses any time their members met.

At the regional delegates conference of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, Mr Tiiga said it took some district assemblies in the region to hold as many as three or more meetings before they could elect their Presiding Members.

"In some cases, even when compromises are made to get someone elected, lack of trust still remains with us. So much resources are used in these meetings. This is not to chastise anybody or assembly but to bring to the fore this growing unhealthy development for the NALAG to ponder over", he said.

The conference, which was to elect regional representatives of the association, was attended by district chief executives, presiding members and some selected assembly members from the various municipal and district assemblies.

Democratic structure

According to Mr Tiiga, the district assembly system was one of the most democratic structures Ghana had ever had in its local governance.

He said District Chief Executives, Presiding Members and other assembly members constituted the political aspect of the democratic decentralisation which brought decision making to the doorstep of the people.

He said local government was a worldwide practice because it had been realised that centralisation of power at the national level eliminated a good number of people from governance.

Mr Tiiga appealed to them to elect committed and affable people to represent them and indicated that for any association to function effectively, they needed strong executives who could champion their cause.

NALAG Concerns

The President of NALAG, Alhaji Mohammed K. Doku, said NALAG was the only recognised local government association and the main mouthpiece of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the country.

He said it took the cooperation and support of members to enhance its image and expressed concern about the utterances of former leaders of the association which was threatening the survival of the association.

" While all of us have the liberty to criticise the lapses in running the association at various times, we urge that the criticism should be constructive”, he said.

Recently, he said, there had been utterances in the media, from some former leaders which threatened the survival of the association.

“ Some, after leaving office, have decided to oppose any directive or request coming from the secretariat," Alhaji Doku stated.