NALAG — What next after Okponglo?
Associations are formed basically with the objective of championing the well-being of their members and to, a larger extent contribute to society's development.
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The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) was established in 1977 under the Ministry of Local Government.
As the parent association of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), NALAG was formed with very beguiling and catchy aims and objectives which sought not to only benefit its members but the country as a whole.
Article 2 (7), (8), (9) and (10) of the association’s constitution states clearly that:
- NALAG shall provide a forum for discussion and exchange ideas and information on matters of mutual interest related to local government as a means of solving problems of member MMDAs.
- Co-operate with bodies and agencies concerned with local government in fostering good relationships between member MMDAs.
- Assist the Central Government in the implementation and monitoring of its programmes in the metropolises, municipalities and districts.
-Provide channels for effective communication between MMDAs and the Central Government.
Again, Article 3 (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the same constitution states that: a. NALAG shall establish and maintain library and bureau of information relating to local government and to facilitate investigation and research into all aspect of local government.
b. Collect and disseminate information on all matters of interest to the association.
c. Sponsor and assist the study of local government in any manner considered desirable including participation in both national and international conferences, workshops and seminars.
d. Promote the participation of people in local government civic activities.
e. Enter into contracts and other transactions beneficial to the association.
One may want to find out whether or not what was targeted has been achieved within the period of 35 years of its existence. With regard to the above aims and objectives of the association, the question I am asking is: Has NALAG lived up to expectation?
Achievements
Paraphrasing from the acting General Secretary of NALAG’s speech during its office inauguration at Okponglo on April 30, this year, it was clear that NALAG had really and finally freed itself from office accommodation slavery by acquiring a five-storey edifice.
The new office complex, which is located at Okponglo, South Legon, behind the Golf House, is to be used as offices of the association and hostel accommodation for its members.
Again, the association can boast a plot in Tema, and annually prints diaries and calendars for its members.
Critical issues
I was taken aback at the inauguration of the new office complex of NALAG as just a handful of MMDCEs and Presiding Members were present.
The question I asked myself was: Why did those who really mattered most not attend the programme? Upon a few interrogations, I got the answer to my question – members have lost interest in the association and think attending such a programme would be a waste of their resources and time.
I pushed further to know more about this development and behold, there were more untold stories.
Members of the association felt that their leaders had failed them and that there was the need to put into office very vibrant and hardworking ones who could rekindle their hopes.
It was also revealed that NALAG could be likened to a toothless dog. The association, for the past four years, has not been able to organise a single successful conference, taking into consideration the shameful, wasteful, unpardonable and a failed ‘Sunyani Saga’ where leaders failed to organise the 2013 delegates conference at Tyco City. What was even more disturbing was the money wasted on that stillborn conference which passed through the drain unquestioned.
Unlike other vibrant associations such as Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG), etc., NALAG has completely lost its voice and its credibility.
The association has been centralised in Accra without regional offices let alone to talk of district offices for its members.
NALAG, for that matter, should have been the pivot around which all issues and policies on local governance revolved. The association should have been able to communicate and address the concerns, needs and aspirations of its members.
Recent developments in the country have pointed to the association as a toothless dog incapable of responding to simple local government issues, giving way to the public to question the credibility, relevance and competence of its leadership.
The major challenge of NALAG, to say the least, is leadership. Sight must not be lost on the principle of leadership when it comes to restructuring a failed association.
That is why there is the need for a shake up in NALAG to save it from completely sinking.
Funding
Another critical area to ‘hammer’ is funding and the financial status of the association.
Reliable information gathered within the association’s stalwarts indicates that as a result of lack of funds, salaries of staff were not paid regularly (since the Sunyani Delegates Congress) till the recent release of the Common Fund.
The question is, why should NALAG be bankrupt to the extent of not being able to pay its staff? Let us take a cue from the Local Government Act.
Statutorily, Section 45 of the Local Government Act sub-sections (1) and (2) states that, ‘Every District Assembly Shall make such contribution to the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana as the association may from time to time determine.’ “The contribution made under sub-section (1) shall be in respect of any expenditure incurred by the association in undertaking its business and the holding of its meetings.”
This testifies that a percentage of every Metropolitan, Municipal and District’s Common Fund is deducted to the coffers of NALAG for its operations. Again, GIZ , an international organisation, has been donating sufficiently to NALAG to enable it to carry out other projected activities.
Another surprising and shocking development is the inability of NALAG to print diaries and calendars for its members due to lack of funds. Does this, therefore, mean that apart from the Common Fund and the donor support which have not been forthcoming for the past three to four years, the association has no other means to generate funds? If No is the answer, then this is another indictment on the organisational acumen on the immediate past national leadership of NALAG.
The way forward
NALAG must go to congress as soon as possible to elect more effective, pragmatic, innovative, hardworking, vibrant and selfless leaders who can transform and modify the destiny of the association; a leader with the vision of ensuring effective teamwork that will transform NALAG into a reliable and self-sufficient institution capable of winning local and global acceptance and confidence.
This can be done through restructuring the association from its current centralised position to a more decentralised one by opening regional offices, as well as instituting regional executive councils to facilitate its operations. Leaders who will regularly train and build the capacity of members, especially presiding and assembly members and positively formulate a constructive advocacy engagement with government and other local and international bodies to generate revenues for the association’s operations.
NALAG needs leaders who will collaborate with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to institute operational allowances for the assembly and presiding members. It also needs leaders who can initiate, mobilise and channel more of NALAG’s resources into strategic investment drive to ensure sustainable financial resource for the association.
The association needs leaders who have the vision to establish an effective welfare scheme to cater for the needs of members and initiate strategies that will ensure gender mainstreaming and fuller participation of women in the association’s activities.
Next congress
As the membership prepares for the next congress to elect a new national leadership, issues about rebranding and repositioning of NALAG into an acceptable, result oriented, pragmatic and reliable association should be the major preoccupation of the electoral college.
Writer's email. [email protected]