Popular participation in Ghana's political decentralization program : real or symbolic?

Abstract

The idea that centralized planning and administration adopted by the post-colonial states in the so-called Third World, especially in Africa has hampered their development found remedy in the 1980s, in decentralization. The Another Development Approach, which championed this view, argued that it is only by decentralizing government and allowing for the popular participation of people, who were hitherto ignored in the decision-making process could development occur. This is because, by their participation they would be able to determine their own priorities. It was expected that this participation would lead to their empowerment. There were other advocates, like the World Bank, which since the late 1980s championed the decentralization argument.

This study attempts to investigate these "virtues" in decentralization by examining the decentralization policy in Ghana between 1982 and 1994 under the PNDC/NDC. However, in order to provide a background to the study we have traced decentralization in Ghana from the pre-colonial era, when the institution of chieftaincy provided its basis. We have argued that contrary to the rhetoric that Ghana's decentralization policy in the period under study facilitated popular participation in an effective decision-making process, the opposite is the case. That is, by illustrating the contest for power that accompanied the earlier period and the two examples of decision-making in the South Tongu District Assembly, we have shown that this decentralization policy, like those in the past, led to a recentralization of authority.

On the basis of our findings, we concluded that for decentralization to promote participation in an effective decision-making process, the location of power must be addressed. The failure to recognize the centrality of power in decentralization has been identified as a limitation of the Another Development Approach and those of the other advocates of decentralization.