The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has underscored the government’s dedication to decentralisation and job creation through infrastructure development and the establishment of regional offices.
In an interview with Citi News, Korsah emphasized the ministry’s efforts to foster local collaboration among various ministries and agencies to localize services and activities, aiming to make management more effective and responsive. “The process is a gradual one. There are very key ministries whose work interface with us, and whom the target is on to be sure that we can further decentralise. If we look at education, there is a plan to make sure that we centralise as much as we can,” he explained.
He elaborated on the importance of decentralisation, stating, “So that within the local space, managing education becomes a reality. And then making it much more effective rather than having a unit at the top. Managing a system with a huge base that is later moved to effectively tackle it. The whole concept of decentralisation is to take away power and give to another.”
Korsah highlighted that the creation of new regions by the government has enhanced national representation and promoted a more inclusive and consultative governance process. “Virtually every facility that exists in the then region, which those far have thought they were not benefiting from and felt alienated or cut off. Today is not the case you put governance to them, and all these facilities are being replicated. So, if you come to the Bono East, they are now going to have a regional hospital. If you go to Sunyani, Bono has a regional hospital and of course that of Ahafo. So, within the same landmass, you are sort of doubling or adding more of the facilities that people critically need,” he stated.
The minister also emphasized the job creation aspect of these developments: “What it means is that you are creating jobs invariably because those facilities that you build, you are not going to import anybody from somewhere to come work, they are Ghanaians and so the benefit comes in many ways. Apart from centralising, serving governance closer to the people and accelerating the rate of development. You are also making sure that
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