DRIP was politicised & destroyed at birth, but we will restore it -Ahmed Ibrahim

The minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, had bemoaned that the District Roads Improvement Programmes (DRIP), even though a good initiative, was politicised and destroyed at birth.

He said this during his appearance before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 21, 2025.

“Mr Chairman, the DRIP contract was politicised and destroyed at birth, but we can rejuvenate it,” he said.

He explained that while the idea behind the program was excellent, it suffered from missteps when it was procured by the Office of the President instead of the Ministry of Local Government.

He clarified that the DRIP machines, which were meant to improve road conditions across districts, were not fully paid for and the administration was unaware of the details of the procurement.

“The money that was supposed to be given to the administrator to procure the machines never fully reached its intended destination,” he explained.

Mr. Ibrahim committed to reviving the program, ensuring that the machines are put to use to serve the intended purpose.

“We must put the machines into good use with proper structures, agreements, monitoring, and systems,” he emphasised.

Mr Ibrahim revealed the Ministry lacks any documentation or inventory of DRIP machines procured through the Office of the President.

“No District Chief Executive or ministry worker can show you any agreement of the DRIP project,” he told the committee.

He acknowledged that the lack of management contracts, spare parts and committees to oversee the program was a significant challenge.

Nevertheless, he reassured the committee that if given the nod, he would work with his team and the broader ministry to restore DRIP to its full potential, ultimately benefiting the communities it was designed to serve.The DRIP initiative, which was commissioned under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration, aims to improve road networks across districts in Ghana to enhance accessibility and foster economic development. Another question raised during the vetting was the position of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) administrator and whether the minister would have oversight over the role.

The query referenced the differing constitutional provisions on the appointment of the DACF administrator, citing both consultation with the Council of State and parliamentary approval as required by Articles 70 and 2524 of the 1992 Constitution.

In his response, Mr. Ibrahim clarified that while the law has changed since 2016, creating confusion about the administrator’s accountability, he believes the DACF administrator should report to the minister.

He cited previous challenges in the practical implementation of the law and argued that the law needed revisiting. “The law must be revisited to correct the defects and address the practical challenges we’ve encountered,” he stated.

He emphasised that the minister for local government should have a supervisory role to oversee the functioning of the DACF and ensure that funds are properly allocated to the various district assemblies.

Local Governance

When asked about improving the local economy within the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), he emphasised the importance of leveraging the comparative natural advantages of each district.

“Development of the local economy is one of the core mandates of the MMDAs and we need strategies to improve the local economy in every district,” he said.

He proposed working collaboratively with former ministers and other stakeholders to formulate strategies that would empower MMDAs to contribute meaningfully to the national economy.

When asked about the lack of adequate human resources in the local governance sector. Mr. Ibrahim acknowledged this issue, noting the shortage of skilled professionals and the need for more educational opportunities.

He reassured the committee that he would prioritize efforts to address this by pushing for the establishment of more universities to meet the growing demand for higher education in local governance.

Property Rate Collection

He pointed out that property rates were a major source of revenue for the MMDAs and criticized the centralization of property rate collection.

“We must decentralise property rates collection and allow MMDAs to retain control over this vital source of revenue,” he argued. He noted that previous efforts to centralize property rate collection had not been successful and emphasized the need for more effective local management of property taxes.

He also suggested exploring other avenues to boost local revenue, including utilising the comparative advantages of different districts to attract investment and enhance economic activities at the local level.

Mr Ibrahim stressed the importance of collaboration in tackling the challenges faced by the local governance sector. He expressed confidence that by working together with past ministers, local governance practitioners, and parliamentarians, progress could be made in addressing the issues at hand.

“We have the men on both sides. If we put everything together, we will solve Ghana’s problems,” he concluded.

Mr. Ibrahim pledged to end the persistent tensions between Members of Parliament (MPs) and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCs).

“There is always this tough war between MMDCs and MPs. Even political parties have had to intervene to stop MMDCs with parliamentary ambitions from destabilising sitting MPs,” he remarked.

He explained that these conflicts often arise when both sides fail to respect their distinct roles. To address this, he proposed regular meetings to clarify job descriptions and foster cooperation.

“As a minister, I will not allow any DCE to disrespect an MP, and MPs must also respect DCEs. When everyone focuses on their jurisdiction, there will be peace,” he assured the Committee.

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