Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Nii Lantey Vanderpuye is advising the electorate not to “entrust the fate of their assemblies into the hands of poor aspirants in the forthcoming District Level Elections”.

He says electing poor assembly members would only result in poor policy formulation and implementation.

Nii Lantey was speaking at the launch of a programme targeted at empowering Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations to put in proposals to implement projects that will ensure more transparent and accountable governance and improved service delivery.

The upcoming District Level Elections have received a lukewarm attitude from majority of Ghanaians, and the Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo Constituency is urging ‘quality’ candidates to take keen interest and contest to be voted for.

The minister believes the District Level Elections have not been accorded the importance it deserves and part of the reason may be because only poor people tend to be voted to the assemblies.

Senior fellow at the Center for Democratic Development, CDD, Ambassador Francis Tsegah attributes the unenthusiastic attitude towards local governance elections to poor leadership.

He said Government would have to “stop the practice of appointing party faithful to key positions for political gratification”.