The Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC) has inaugurated a Legislative Review Committee (LRC) to assess and harmonise the legal and institutional framework underpinning the country’s decentralisation and local governance programme.
The chairman of the committee is local governance expert Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi.
The members are Estelle Appiah, an expert in legislative drafting and peer review mechanisms; Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, a former Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government; Alhaji Ishaq Alhassan, former Director of Local Governance and Legal Affairs, MLGRD; Dr. Rainer Akumperigya, a legal practitioner and Secretary of the Constitutional Review Committee; and Ms. Heidi Boakye, Principal State Attorney at the Office of the Attorney-General.
Also on the committee are Dr. Nana Opare Gyan, former Director of M&E, NDPC; Stephen Ankugre, NALAG Council Member and Presiding Member of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly; Samuel Seth Passah, Director of Local Governance and Decentralisation; Dr. Richard Fiadomor, President of the Chamber of Local Government; and Ing. Baah Tetteh, acting Director of Management and Technical Services, Office of the Head of the Local Government Service.
Relevance
Dr. Gameli Kewuribe Hoedoafia, the Executive Secretary of the IMCC, who introduced the members of the committee in Accra, underscored the importance of the committee’s work, stating:
“The LRC, formerly the Legislative Review Taskforce, has a distinguished track record, having played a key role in shaping landmark legislation such as the Local Governance Act of 2016 (Act 936), the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act of 2016 (Act 925), the Youth Authority Act, the Sports Authority Act of 2016 (Act 939), the Births and Deaths Registration Act of 2020 (Act 1027), and the legislative instruments for the NDPC Act and the NDPC Systems Act.”
He added, “Its establishment is both a strategic and urgent step toward aligning our decentralisation laws with current development realities.”
Dr. Hoedoafia also expressed appreciation to Prof. Ahwoi for agreeing to lead the committee, describing him as the “Father of decentralisation in Ghana.” He expressed confidence that the committee would deliver a comprehensive and forward-looking legal review to strengthen the institutional arrangements within the sector.
Commitment
Prof. Ahwoi reaffirmed his commitment to the task of advancing a national decentralisation agenda. He emphasised that effective decentralisation was foundational for sustainable development and commended President Mahama for his visionary leadership in advancing decentralisation reforms during his tenure as Vice President and President.
“The IMCC has an inter-sectoral policy coordination role, and this committee will work hard to identify and propose remedies for legal gaps within the various sectoral laws,” the chairman concluded.
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