90 Graduate from Institute of Local Government Studies
THE Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Alhaji Collins Dauda, has underscored the need for all staff of the local government system to upgrade their skill to improve decentralisation locally.
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The minister was optimistic that the upgrading of their skills would enable them to collectively and effectively manage the new challenges arising out of the expansion in the scope of decentralisation.
He, therefore, called on the Local Government Service Secretariat and the Municipal and Metropolitan District Assemblies to collaborate with the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) to develop innovative programmes to facilitate the required upgrading.
Second congregation
Alhaji Dauda said this in an address read on his behalf at the second congregation of the Institute of Local Government Studies in Accra last Saturday.
A total of 90 students, comprising 70 males and 20 females, who had completed various Master’s degree programmes in local government administration and organisation, local government financial management and local economic development graduated.
The theme for the institute’s second graduation was, “Building resilient local authorities through quality education: the role of tertiary institutions.”
Alhaji Dauda said the government was aware of the challenges the ILGS was faced with and assured the managers of the institute that the sector ministry would support the institute and put it on its right footing.
He announced that the sector ministry had provided a 100 kilowatt electric generating set to augment the institute’s alternative power supply system.
Innovative programmes in the offing
For his part, the Director of the Institute, Dr Abdulai Darimani, said in the subsequent years, the institute was ready to continue rolling out innovative and attractive local government programmes that would continue to distinguish the institute as the only institution in West Africa offering specialisation courses in decentralisation and local governance.
“Despite the institute’s challenges over the years, we have been able to prepare three Bachelor’s programmes and a Diploma programme, namely BSc Social Protection, BA Community Development and Diploma in Community Development," he said.
Dr Darimani said those courses had been submitted to the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for accreditation consideration.
In his keynote address, the Vice-Rector of the Pentecost University College, Professor Kwame Boasiako Omane-Antwi, said the search for appropriate institutional framework for local governance had been a difficult task in Africa.
Professor Omane Antwi said no nation could boast of excellence in its performance within the public sector while the grass roots were faced with abject poverty and socio-economic dilemma among other problems.
He was of the view that in spite of all the current challenges of the local government system locally, it was arguable that without the local government systems, there could not be a complete and comprehensive political system in Ghana.
He, therefore, commended the management of the institute over the years for the contribution of the ILGS in strengthening democracy and decentralisation in Ghana.