President of the Chamber of Local Governance, CHALOG, Richard Fiadomor, has accused political actors of undermining the effectiveness of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), saying persistent interference in their operations is crippling their ability to deliver critical municipal services.

According to him, assemblies are often unable to take decisive action on issues such as development control, demolition of unauthorised structures and sanitation enforcement because they are forced to look over their shoulders for political approval.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, July 8, Mr Fiadomor said assemblies should be given a free hand to perform their statutory functions, especially in the wake of the recent flooding and sanitation challenges in parts of Accra.

“What we are seeking for on behalf of the assemblies is the fact that assemblies should be given a free hand to do their work.

“Over the period, we have seen some level of unbridled political interference in the work of the MMDAs. As a result, anytime they want to take a major action, they are always looking beyond their shoulders to see whether big brother or big sister is watching, and that is actually affecting the work of the assemblies,” he said.

He argued that while President John Mahama’s recent directive for intensified action on flooding and sanitation may trigger some immediate response, the larger problem would remain unresolved unless assemblies are empowered to act independently beyond emergency interventions.

Mr Fiadomor cited demolition exercises in Greater Accra as a clear example of the problem, saying many assemblies are unable to enforce development control measures unless the Greater Accra Regional Minister is directly involved.

“If you have observed, anytime any demolition exercise has to be done in Greater Accra, if the Regional Minister is not involved, no assembly is able to gather the courage to do it,” he said.

He explained that while Regional Coordinating Councils are mandated to supervise and coordinate the activities of MMDAs, they are not supposed to directly lead development control exercises, which fall under the sole responsibility of the assemblies.

“But you see them getting involved in development control. When it comes to development control, it is the sole responsibility of the MMDAs,” he stressed.

Mr Fiadomor maintained that this pattern of interference weakens local governance and undermines the ability of assemblies to respond promptly to illegal developments and environmental threats.

Mr Fiadomor’s comments come amid renewed debate over the role of local authorities in tackling flooding, sanitation breakdown and unauthorised construction, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, where recent heavy rains exposed longstanding weaknesses in urban management and enforcement.