The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), Hon. Daniel Botwe on 23 January, 2023 called on the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah and met with management of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) as part of a three-day official working visit to the Ashanti Region.
Hon. Daniel Botwe was accompanied by his two Deputies, Hon. Osei Bonsu Amoah and Hon. Augustine Collins Ntim; Nana Ato Arthur, Head of Service, OHLGS, as well as the Chief Director of the MLGDRD, Ms. Marian Kpakpah; Chief Director of the MLGDRD, Mrs. Felicia Dapaah, Chief Director of the OHLGS, Heads of Departments under the Ministry, and Directors from the Ministry.
Addressing management staff of the ARCC, Hon. Dan Botwe indicated that the Ministry is mandated by the 1992 Constitution to pursue policies and programmes that bring development to the people at the local level.
He said the Ministry is also mandated to enhance the capacity of local government authorities to plan, initiate, coordinate, manage and execute policies in respect of all matters affecting the people within their areas. To enable it pursue policies and programmes that satisfy the aspirations of the people, the emphasis is now placed on the name decentralisation.
He indicated that, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) has been created to deepen decentralised governance, improve the central-local governments relations, enhance local public services and promote overall development at the sub-national level which include all 261 MMDAs and 16 RCCs
He added that planning is one of the key functions in development, thus the need for proper coordination and monitoring between the Ministry and the Regional Coordinating Councils to ensure the proper use of state resources for accelerated development in the communities.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah on his part urged staff to work hard to build a strong local government system that will see to the development of the country.
Management of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council took the opportunity to ask important questions and made suggestion that will inure to the progress of the Local Government Service and the Ministry as a whole.