The CEO of the Center for Posterity Interest Organisation (COPIO), has called on the various Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) to strengthen their supervisory roles over the Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies (MMDAs).

In an interview at Techiman, the Bono East regional capital, Mustapha Maison Yeboah said the RCCs should be empowered to apply sanctions against non-performing and errant assemblies.

He suggested that a separate cost centre be created for the RCCs so that their programmes and activities could be budgeted for and funded adequately to enable them to perform their functions satisfactorily.

He stated, "The RCCs do not have any development budget to undertake development activities, such as providing office and residential accommodation for public officers posted to the regions to work".

Mr Yeboah pointed out that the constitution of Ghana mandates the RCCs to facilitate coordination, monitoring, supervision and backstopping of the assemblies and to provide a forum for representatives from local authorities and the chiefs.

However, he said, the RCCs have performed several functions that are not captured in the legislation.

He added that "The most significant functions, in so far as they account for a sizeable proportion of the RCC’s resources are protocol functions, involving the hosting of dignitaries and the celebration of national and regional events".

“The RCCs are also to coordinate and monitor the activities of decentralised ministries departments and agencies (MDAs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that operate at the regional level, and that is the reason why regional heads of MDAs are ex-officio members of the RCC,” he explained.

Mr Yeboah said it is disheartening that despite these extensive responsibilities assigned to the RCCs by the legislation and the regulatory environment as presently conceived, the regions are not recognised as decision-making bodies within the local government structure.

"The same way the RCCs are not provided with the means of enforcement and the necessary sanctions to ensure that the assemblies comply with the central government policies and programmes,” he stated.

He declared, "No provision is made for the funding of the assigned functions beyond ad hoc arrangements through warrants".

The CEO of COPIO observed that sanitation in metropolitan areas, municipalities and districts, especially urban communities, has been deteriorating.

"Unfortunately, the assemblies appear overwhelmed by the filth that has engulfed almost every major town or city in the country," he stressed.

He further noted that drainage systems meant for the free flow of wastewater are choked with silt and refuse while communities lack the proper places of convenience.

Mr Yeboah added, "The management of both liquid and solid waste is not up to standard, and in some places, liquid waste is dumped indiscriminately on the ground, but the RCCs are incapable of assisting in fixing the situation".

He said it is also appalling that most Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies do not have technically engineered final disposal sites.