The North Dayi District Assembly in the Volta Region under the leadership of Mr Edmund Kudjo Attah, the District Chief Executive, has emerged the best Assembly among the 18 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the region in the 2023 Local Governance Index (LOGIN) report.
The report, sighted by the Ghana News Agency, dubbed: “Residents’ Assessment of their Local Government Authorities in Ghana” was produced by the Institute of Local Government Studies, in collaboration with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
The LOGIN provided opportunities for residents in Ghana’s 261 local government jurisdictions to assess the quality of local governance under seven thematic areas and 47 indicators.
North Dayi scored 72.1 per cent to clinch the first position in the region but eighth at the national level, with Anloga District scoring 59.1 per cent to emerge second in the region but 69th nationwide.
The Hohoe Municipal, with 58.8 per cent, was ranked third and 73rd in the regional and national, respectively, while Akatsi South ranked fourth regionally with 58.5 per cent and 78th nationally.
The Ho West District had 58.1 per cent to rank fifth regionally and 83rd nationally, Afadzato South with 56.1 per cent was Sixth and 107th, Ho Municipal with 53.0 percent (Seventh and 146th), Ketu North Municipal with 52.4 per cent (8th slot in the region and 153rd nationwide) Central Tongu with 52.1 per cent (9th and 156th), Adaklu District with 51.7 per cent (10th and 158th), South Dayi followed at the 11th position in the region and 161st nationally and Akatsi North with 51.0 per cent (12th and 165th).
The report placed Keta Municipal on the 13th position in the region and 169th nationally with 50.7 per cent, Agortime Ziope on the 14th position and 189th nationwide with 48.8 per cent, North Tongu at the 15th position with 46.6 per cent and 219th nationally.
The Kpando Municipal obtained 45.9 per cent to obtain 16th position in the region and 222nd nationwide, South Tongu placed 17th in the region with 42.3 per cent and 237th nationwide and Ketu South Municipal with 26 per cent placed 18th in the region and 261st nationally.
The report observed that none of the six metropolitan areas was among the top nine local governments rated as excellent, which also missed out on the first top 50.
Nine districts had scores indicating excellent performance (71 per cent and above), 53 districts had 61-70 per cent (very good) whereas the majority (109 districts) had between 51-60 per cent (good).
The report showed an overall local governance index of 53.8 per cent nationwide although six regions, namely Bono (58.5 per cent), Western (58.3 per cent), Eastern (57.0 per cent), Ashanti (55.2 per cent), Greater Accra (55.0 per cent) and Ahafo (54.9 per cent) had aggregate scores higher than the national average.
“However, residents of Mpohor District in the Western Region and Akyemansa and Kwahu East in the Eastern Region appreciate the quality of local governance that their local governments provide in terms of leadership and service delivery while the residents of Ketu South in the Volta Region and Gomoa Central in the Central Region are highly dissatisfied with the poor local governance conditions,” it said.
The seven LOGIN areas were qualities of administrative services, leadership exhibited by the DCE, representation by Assembly members, professionalism by staff, social services provision, residents’ participation in local governance and decision-making, and opportunities provided for local economic development.
The report has 47 indicators, including basic health services such as availability of CHPS compound, clean water, trust and credibility of MMDCEs, presence and participation in townhall meetings, basic education infrastructure, trust and credibility of Assembly members and client-orientation, respect, loyalty and commitment to residents by assembly staff.
