Frema Osei-Opare inaugurates two district assemblies in Eastern Region

Representing President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, Osei-Opare commended all elected assembly and unit committee members for their success in the recent district level elections.

She reiterated the government's commitment to advancing decentralisation as mandated by the constitution, emphasising the district assemblies' role in fostering popular participation in local governance and decision-making.

With the inauguration of 259 district assemblies, Osei-Opare acknowledged the progress made in decentralisation efforts since 1988, bringing the government closer to the people through an expanded network of district assemblies. Despite this progress, she recognised a prevailing tendency among citizens to seek solutions in Accra for local issues and urged assembly members to actively engage with constituents, delivering basic public services at the local level.

Addressing the instinct to turn to Accra for solutions, she encouraged assembly members to change this mindset and deepen local governance to enable citizens to access basic public services in their districts.

“The instinct of the average citizen is still to look towards Accra or their MPs for things that fall within the remit of the district assembly. I am expecting that you would be part of the team that finally change the status quo and deepen local governance and decentralisation to enable the citizens have access to basic public services in their districts rather than demanding for such services from Accra,” she said.

Osei-Opare further emphasised the need for continuous capacity building and sensitisation efforts to enhance citizens' understanding of decentralisation and local governance. She urged assembly members to establish strong partnerships with local structures, including urban, town, and area councils, for the optimal benefit of local governance.

Highlighting the government's focus on improving internally generated funds (IGFs) for district development, Osei-Opare called for collaborative efforts among assembly members to devise innovative ways of resource mobilisation within their areas.

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