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Accra – Monday, June 9th, 2025: The Acting Head of the Local Government Service (LGS), Professor Lord Mensah, has outlined his bold and transformative vision to Regional Coordinating Directors (RCDs) at a strategic engagement held at the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS).
In his address, Professor Mensah emphasized his commitment to repositioning the Local Government Service as a responsive, transparent, inclusive, and development-driven institution, in accordance with the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936). His vision aims to empower communities, ensure accountable service delivery, and strengthen the coordination of decentralised governance systems.
In his presentation, he highlighted four core pillars underpinning the transformation agenda:
- Professionalized Local Government Service – promoting meritocracy, continuous training, and ethical conduct.
- Data-Driven Decision-Making – ensuring that planning and service delivery are based on evidence.
- Local Government–Private Sector Partnerships – fostering collaboration with the private sector to unlock local economic development.
- Fiscal Decentralisation – advancing local financial autonomy and internal revenue generation.
Professor Mensah also outlined six strategic priority areas with corresponding actions:
- Ethical Governance and Leadership – enhancing attendance tracking, activating Client Service Units, and enforcing administrative oversight.
- Staff Capacity and Institutional Reform – conducting staff audits and redeployments, and offering continuous training in leadership, finance, and citizen engagement.
- Community Engagement – strengthening town hall meetings and involving civil society organisations and traditional authorities in planning and budgeting.
- Responsive Service Delivery – reactivating dormant departments and aligning sectoral projects with District Development Plans.
- Accountable Financial Management – enforcing audit requirements, publishing budgets, and promoting participatory budgeting.
- Private Sector Collaboration – introducing District Investment Profiles, establishing Local Investment Desks, and leveraging ICT tools for service delivery and transactions.
The RCDs commended the Acting Head of Service for his clear vision and actionable agenda. They pledged their full support for the reform programme and expressed readiness to drive its implementation in their respective regions.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to excellence, accountability, and innovation in local governance across all 16 regions.
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